Vanillin (4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde), a pleasant smelling organic aromatic compound, is widely used as a flavoring additive in food, beverage, cosmetic and drug industries. It is reported to cross the blood brain barrier and also displayed antioxidant and neuroprotective activities. Vanillin is a natural substance widely found in many plant species and often used in beverages, foods, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. Antioxidant and anticancer potential have been described for this compound. Vanillin has been classified as a bioantimutagen and is able to inhibit mutagenesis induced by chemical and physical mutagens in various cell systems. Vanillin, a selective agonist of TRPV1, has been shown to attenuate i.c.v. STZ and AlCl3+d-galactose induced experimental Alzheime's disease (AD).

Cinchophen, phenylcinchoninic acid, seems to have been discovered in 1887 by Doebner and Gieseke and to have been introduced into medicine under the trade name of atophan in 1908 by Nicolaier and Dohrn. Since that time it has been used extensively for gout as well as for other forms of arthritis and for the relief of pain of all types. Use of Cinchophen in humans ceased in the 1930s due to the discovery that it can cause serious liver damage.

Sesamin is the most prominent lignan compound found in sesame seeds, one of the two highest sources of lignans in the human diet (the other being flax). Sesamin is catered to be a nutritional supplement that confers antioxidant and antiinflammatory effects (if touting its health properties) or possibly being an estrogen receptor modulator and fat burner (if targeting atheltes or persons wishing to lose weight). Sesamin has a few mechanisms, and when looking at it holistically it can be summed up as a fatty acid metabolism modifier. It appears to inhibit an enzyme known as delta-5-desaturase (Δ5-desaturase) which is a rate-limiting enzyme in fatty acid metabolism; inhibiting this enzyme results in lower levels of both eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, one of the two fish oil fatty acids) as well as arachidonic acid, and this mechanism appears to be relevant following oral ingestion. The other main mechanism is inhibiting a process known as Tocopherol-ω-hydroxylation, which is the rate limiting step in the metabolism of Vitamin E; by inhibiting this enzyme, sesamin causes a relative increase of vitamin E in the body but particularly those of the gamma subset (γ-tocopherol and γ-tocotrienol) and this mechanism has also been confirmed to be active following oral ingestion. Sesamin is a potent and specific inhibitor of delta 5 desaturase in polyunsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis. Sesamin inhibits a particular CYP3A enzymes that is involved in vitamin E metabolism, where the enzyme initially ω-hydroxylates vitamin E (required step) and then the rest of vitamin E is subject to fat oxidation. By inhibiting this step, sesamin causes an increase in circulating and organ concentrations of vitamin E. Sesamin is thought to have PPARα activating potential in the liver, but it is uncertain how much practical relevance this has in humans due to this being a mechanism that differs between species.

Honokiol is a biphenolic natural product isolated from the bark and leaves of Magnolia plant spp. Honokiol possesses anti-carcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-angiogenic as well as the inhibitory effect on malignant transformation of papillomas to carcinomas in vitro and in vivo animal models without any appreciable toxicity. Honokiol affects multiple signaling pathways, molecular and cellular targets including nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB), STAT3, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), cell survival signaling, cell cycle, cyclooxygenase and other inflammatory mediators, etc. Honokiol can permeate the blood-brain barrier and the blood-cerebrospinal fluid to increase its bioavailability in neurological tissues. Diverse studies have provided evidence on the neuroprotective effect of honokiol in the central nervous system, due to its potent antioxidant activity, and amelioration of the excitotoxicity mainly related to the blockade of glutamate receptors and reduction in neuroinflammation. Honokiol can attenuate neurotoxicity exerted by abnormally aggregated Abeta in Alzheimer's disease. Honokiol is being developed by Huons as HL tablet for the treatment of alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver.

Caffeic acid is an organic compound that is classified as a hydroxycinnamic acid. Caffeic acid is naturally found in many agricultural products, such as fruit, vegetables, wine, olive oil, and coffee, and therefore, significantly present in human diet. Caffeic acid has been reported to have a wide variety of biological activities, including antioxidants, antithrombosis, antihypertensive, antifibrosis, antiviral and anti-tumor properties. Caffeic acid can be effectively employed as a natural antioxidant in various food products such as oils. Caffeic acid exhibits potent anticancer effect in HT-1080 cell line and that it may be used as an anticancer agent. Caffeic acid showed neuroprotective action against oxidative and DNA damage produced in the kindling epilepsy model, although they did not produce antiepileptogenic effect in vivo. Caffeic acid was effective in patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia. Detected in clinical trial caffeic acid-related adverse events were: mild nausea and elevation of liver enzymes.

Stevioside is an ent-kaurene type diterpenoid glycoside isolated from leaves of Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni) Bertoni, a perennial herb of the asteraceae (compositae) family. Stevioside and related compounds are responsible for the sweet taste of Stevia leaves. Stevioside is an intense sweetener and the extract of its source (S. rebaudiana) finds extensive use in countries like Japan, China, Russia, Korea, Paraguay, Argentina, Indonesia, Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, South America, and others, to sweeten local teas, medicines, food, and beverages. Stevia leaves are also in use for their medicinal benefits in hypertension, obesity, topical dressing for wounds, and other skin disorders. Oral stevioside is not taken up by the human body (or the uptake is extremely low) and none of the digestive enzymes from the gastro-intestinal tract of different animals and human body are able to degrade stevioside into steviol. A number of studies have suggested that, beside sweetness, stevioside along with related compounds, which include rebaudioside A, steviol and isosteviol may also offer therapeutic benefits, as they have anti-hyperglycemic, anti-hypertensive, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, anti-diarrheal, diuretic, and immunomodulatory actions.

Bakuchiol is a prenylated phenolic monoterpene isolated from Psoralea corylifolia Leguminosae, widely used in Chinese and Indian traditional medicine for the treatment of premature ejaculation, knee pain, alopecia spermatorrhea, enuresis, backache, pollakiuria, vitiligo, callus, and psoriasis. Bakuchiol is shown to have anti-microbial, anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative, anti-osteoporosis, and anti-depression or anti-stress activities The anti-cancer potential of bakuchiol has been. Bakuchiol inhibits liver cancer cell growth through inducing S phase arrest, caspase 9/3 activation, p53 and Bax up-regulation, as well as Bcl-2 down-regulation. It also inhibits human carboxylesterase 2, which is commonly expressed in tumor tissue and involved in the metabolism of endogenous lipids and drugs.

Curcumin is a bright yellow chemical produced by some plants, for example, it is the principal curcuminoid of turmeric. It is sold as a food flavoring, food colorant, herbal supplement, and cosmetic ingredient. Although curcumin has been widely studied it has not been officially endorsed for any pharmaceutical use due to issues of stability and bioavailability; although it continues to b marketed as a health supplement. Curcumin has been investigated for the treatment of a number of cancers, asthma, mucositis, schizophrenia, mild cognitive impairment, and depression.

Borneol, a monoterpenoid alcohol, is a component of many essential oils. Barneol occurs in nature as a single enantiomer (d- or l-, depending on the oil type) or, less frequently, as the racemate. Several studies have proved the effectiveness of borneol. In Chinese medicines borneol has been used in relieving symptoms of anxiety, fatigue and insomnia; inducing anesthesia and analgesia to alleviate abdominal pain, wounds and burns; relieving rheumatic pain, hemorrhoids, skin diseases and ulcerations of the mouth, ears, eyes or nose; to treat sore throats and skin infections, and is mainly used to treat cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases. Borneol has a significant therapeutic effect on neuralgia. This compound is considered a GRAS approved by the FDA as food flavor. Additionally, borneol is a fragrance ingredient. GABAA, TRPV3, TRPM8 and TRPA1 have been identified as the molecular targets of borneol.

Parabens are widely used preservatives in basic necessities such as cosmetic and pharmaceutical products. It was found, that butylparaben has estrogenic and antiandrogenic properties and is known to reduce sperm counts in rats following perinatal exposure. In addition was observed, that butylparaben exerted endocrine disrupting effects on both male and female offspring. In 2009-2010, 80 pregnant women from Ottawa Canada participated in the Plastics and Personal-Care Product Use in Pregnancy (P4) Study. Women kept a diary of products that they used 24 h prior to and during the collection. All parabens measured in maternal urine had moderate to high reproducibility. Women who used lotions in the past 24 h had significantly higher geometric mean paraben concentrations (80-110%) in their urine than women who reported no use in the past 24 h. Women who used shampoo, conditioner, and cosmetics also showed 70-80% higher butylparaben concentrations in their urine.