Chrysanthemums, derived from the Greek words ‘chrysos’ meaning gold and ‘anthemon’ meaning flower, are flowering plants of the genus Chrysanthemum in the family Asteraceae. They are native to Asia and northeastern Europe and are about 40 valid species. Chrysanthemum zawadskii, known as ‘Gujeolcho’ in Korea, is a perennial herb widely distributed in East Asia. It blooms in autumn and its flower is used as a tea in Korea. C. zawadskii has been used also as a traditional medicine for the treatment of pneumonia, bronchitis, cough, common cold, pharyngitis, bladder-related disorders, gastroentericdisorders, and hypertension.

The extracts from flower of C. zawadskii have been proven in many scientific research articles to have anti-allergic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-cancer activities. In Korean research article, it has been reported that the water extract of C. zawadskii had anti-fungal activity against dandruff-producing Malassezia furfur.