Synonymously known as Polygonum hydropiper, Persicaria hydropiper is a plant with pungent flavor growing in damp places and shallow water. The leaves are used as vegetable, and due to its hot, pungent taste, it is sometimes added to wasabi. In eastern Asian countries, it is used as a folk remedy to treat cancer, inflammatory diseases, and hemostatic disorders. Drimane type sesquiterpenes, such as polygodial and warburganal, are found to be present in P. hydropiper, which possess strong insect repelling and anti-bacterial activities.