Pinellia ternata, commonly known as crow-dipper, is native to Korea, China, and Japan. The dried root of P. ternata is one of many decoctions in Korean and Chinese herbal medicine and is effectively used to remove dampness-phlegm in cough. It is also applied for nausea, tumor, insomnia, eclampsia, and inflammation.

A phytochemical study has led to isolation of a new anti-microbial cerebroside, pinelloside, from air-dried root of P. ternata. It is demonstrated that pinelloside shows anti-microbial property by inhibiting the growth of Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Aspergillus niger, and Candida albicans, with minimum inhibitory concentrations of 20, 50, 30, and 10 μg/ml, respectively. In another study, it is reported that bioactive constituents including ferulic acid, sachaliside 1, and coniferin are isolated from the fresh root of P. ternata, and these compounds showed anti-inflammatory activity by the suppression of TNF-α production in LPS-stimulated mice peritoneal macrophages.