Codonopsis lanceolata is a flowering plant which is originated from East Asia. The root of C. lanceolata is widely used in Korean cuisine as well as in Traditional Oriental Medicine for the treatment of inflammatory diseases, such as bronchitis and cough, and spasms. The dried roots of C. lanceolata are often used as a “recovery pill” to aid those weakened by disease, surgery, medical therapy, blood loss, injury, or childbirth.

The root of C. lanceolata contains lance aside A and echinocystic acid as main constituents, which are reported to exhibit anti-inflammatory effects both in vitro and in vivo. Especially, echinocystic acid has been proven to alleviate dermatitis when topically applied on mouse skin. Methanolic extract of C. lanceolata shows anti-adipogenic and anti-oxidant effects by inhibiting lipid accumulation in 3T3-L1 adipocytes and scavenging free radicals and reactive oxygen species.