ASARININ, (+)- ((+)-episesamin), an abundant lignan in sesame seed, has been identified as an active principle in an aqueous extract of Lindera obtusiloba (Japanese Spicebush) with a strong anti-inflammatory potential. (+)-episesamin (ES) is known to block the TNF-α-induced mitogenic VSMC response. Protective effect of (+)-episesamin against PDGF-BB-induced activation of vascular smooth muscle cells is mediated by induction of haem oxygenase-1 and inhibition of mitogenic signalling. ES interferes with inflammation-associated VSMC activation and subsequent decreased proliferation and migration due to anti-oxidative properties and impaired activation of NF-ĸB, known contributors to atherogenesis. These results suggest ES as a complemental treatment of VSMC specific vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis. (+)-Episesamin inhibits adipogenesis and exerts anti-inflammatory effects in 3T3-L1 (pre)adipocytes by sustained Wnt signaling, down-regulation of PPARγ and induction of iNOS. (+)-episesamin seems to be the active drug in the L. obtusiloba extract being responsible for the inhibition of adipogenesis and, thus, should be evaluated as a novel potential complementary treatment for obesity.

Gibberellic acid was first discovered in Japan in 1935 as a result of the study of a condition common in rice plants called "foolish seedling" disease, which caused the plants to grow much taller than normal. The effects of gibberellins weren't widely understood until years later. Gibberellic acid, GA3 is a naturally occurring plant hormone that regulates the growth of plants, including triggering seed germination. Gibberellic Acid is not manufactured; it's a natural product extracted from the Gibberella fujikuroi fungus. There are over 100 known forms of gibberellic acid; GA3 is the most effective. Gibberellic acid (GA3) is used extensively in Egypt and other countries, to increase the growth of many fruits (such as strawberries and grapes) and vegetables (such as tomatoes, cabbages and cauliflower). Carcinogenic effect of Gibberellic acid has being demonstrated in several studies. Gibberellic acid increased the activity of testicular 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD and elevated testosterone content in rats, acting as an agonist of steroidogenesis in male rats. Gibberellic acid has being suggested to promote ulcer-healing, healing of surgical wounds or open fractures and treatment of bronchitis or thrombophlebitis in animals including humans.

Erucic acid is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid found mainly in the Brassica family of plants such as canola, rapeseed, wallflower seed, mustard seed as well as Brussels spouts and broccoli. Erucic acid has many of the same uses as mineral oils but with the advantage that it is more readily biodegradable. Its high tolerance to temperature makes it suitable for transmission oil. Its ability to polymerize and dry means it can be - and is - used as a binder for oil paints. Increased levels of eicosenoic acid (20:ln9) and erucic acid (22:1n9) have been found in the red blood cell membranes of autistic subjects with developmental regression. While studies done on laboratory animals in the early 1970s show that erucic acid appears to have toxic effects on the heart at high enough doses, an association between the consumption of rapeseed oil and increased myocardial lipidosis, or heart disease, has not been established for humans. While there are reports of toxicity from long-term use of Lorenzo's oil (which contains erucic acid and other ingredients), there are no reports of harm to people from dietary consumption of erucic acid. In 2003, Food Standards Australia set a provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) for an average adult of about 500 mg/day of erucic acid, extrapolated based on "the level that is associated with increased myocardial lipidosis in nursing pigs."

Guanosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) is a cyclic nucleotide derived from guanosine triphosphate (GTP). Cyclic GMP is a cellular regulatory agent that acts as a second messenger. Its levels increase in response to a variety of signals (acetylcholine, insulin, oxytocin). cGMP is involved in the regulation of kinases G. cGMP binds to sites on the regulatory units of protein kinase G (PKG) and activates the catalytic units, enabling them to phosphorylate their substrates. cGMP is a common regulator of ion channel conductance, glycogenolysis, and cellular apoptosis. It also relaxes smooth muscle tissues. In blood vessels, relaxation of vascular smooth muscles lead to vasodilation and increased blood flow. cGMP is a secondary messenger in phototransduction in the eye. In the photoreceptors of the mammalian eye, the presence of light activates cGMP phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5), which degrades cGMP. The sodium ion channels in photoreceptors are cGMP-gated, so degradation of cGMP causes sodium channels to close, which leads to the hyperpolarization of the photoreceptor's plasma membrane and ultimately to visual information being sent to the brain. Mutations in the cGMP phosphodiesterase cause defects in cGMP metabolism leading to retinal disease. Inhibition of cGMP degrading PDE5 by its selective inhibitor sildenafil induced migraine without aura in 10 of 12 migraine patients and in healthy subjects.

Erucic acid is a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid found mainly in the Brassica family of plants such as canola, rapeseed, wallflower seed, mustard seed as well as Brussels spouts and broccoli. Erucic acid has many of the same uses as mineral oils but with the advantage that it is more readily biodegradable. Its high tolerance to temperature makes it suitable for transmission oil. Its ability to polymerize and dry means it can be - and is - used as a binder for oil paints. Increased levels of eicosenoic acid (20:ln9) and erucic acid (22:1n9) have been found in the red blood cell membranes of autistic subjects with developmental regression. While studies done on laboratory animals in the early 1970s show that erucic acid appears to have toxic effects on the heart at high enough doses, an association between the consumption of rapeseed oil and increased myocardial lipidosis, or heart disease, has not been established for humans. While there are reports of toxicity from long-term use of Lorenzo's oil (which contains erucic acid and other ingredients), there are no reports of harm to people from dietary consumption of erucic acid. In 2003, Food Standards Australia set a provisional tolerable daily intake (PTDI) for an average adult of about 500 mg/day of erucic acid, extrapolated based on "the level that is associated with increased myocardial lipidosis in nursing pigs."

Saponarin (SA), a natural flavonoid, is known for its antioxidant and hepatoprotective activities. Saponarin is found in diverse plants, including Tinospora cordifolia, which is used in an anti-diabetic drug, Aloe barbadensis, and barley leaves.Saponarin, isolated from Gypsophila trichotoma Wend., showed in vitro and in vivo hepatoprotective and antioxidant activity against CCl₄-induced liver damage. Saponarin pretreatment also decreased cocaine toxicity both by increasing GSH levels and antioxidant enzyme activities. SA isolated from barley sprouts exerts anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-induced RAW 264.7 macrophages via inhibition of NF-κB, ERK and p38 signaling. Thus, SA may be a promising natural anti-inflammatory agent. Saponarin improves gluconeogenesis and glucose uptake. Saponarin regulates AMPK through induction of intracellular calcium levels. Saponarin has a hypoglycemic effect through the activation of the AMMKb–AMPK–CREB signaling axis in hepatocytes.

Monocrotaline is an 11-membered macrocyclic pyrrolizidine alkaloid derived from the seeds of the Crotalaria spectabilis plant. Monocrotaline is activated to the reactive pyrrole metabolite dehydromonocrotaline in the liver, a reaction that is highly dependent on cytochrome P-450 (CYP3A4). Monocrotaline induces a syndrome characterized, among other manifestations, by pulmonary hypertension, pulmonary mononuclear vasculitis (acute necrotizing pulmonary arteritis in about one-third of the animals), and right ventricular hypertrophy. Monocrotaline is widely used to model pulmonary arterial hypertension in rodents. Monocrotaline aggregates on and activates the extracellular calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR) of pulmonary artery endothelial cells to trigger endothelial damage and, ultimately, induces pulmonary hypertension.