Triacanthine which is a plant growth substance shows hypertensive and antitumor activity also cardiotonic antispasmodic and a respiratory analeptic.

Piscidic acid acts as an inhibitor of cholesterol permeation through Caco-2 cell monolayers and as an inhibitor of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase.

Arctiin(NSC 315527), a plant lignan that can be extracted from the Arctium lappa (burdock) seeds, is a possible environmental endocrine disruptor compound and have been shown to influence sex hormone metabolism as well as protein synthesis, steroid biosynthesis.