Radix Asteris Tatarici belongs to the family of Compositae which is a widely used Tibetan Medicine herb and has a very high medicinal value. Recently

a great number of chemical and pharmacological studies have been done on Radix Asteris Tatarici. It’s proven to possess triterpene and triterpenoid saponin

flavone

peptides

volatile oil

amine acid and mineral element et al. Modern pharmacology studies and clinical practice demonstrated that Radix Asteris Tatarici and its active compounds possess wide pharmacological actions

especially in expelling phlegm and relieving cough

anti-tumor

antisepsis and antivirus

analgesia and anti-oxidant activities. Shionone is the main and effective components of the Radix Asteris Tatarici . Shionone are usually adopted for qualitative and quantitative analysis for Radix Asteris Tatarici . This review is delivered to support the further application and exploitation for new drug development.