Source and Uses: Cnidium monnieri extract is derived from the fruit of Cnidium monnieri (L.) Cusson., a plant in the Apiaceae family. It is mainly produced in Hebei, Shandong, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Sichuan, Inner Mongolia, Shaanxi, and Shanxi provinces. Harvesting takes place in summer and autumn when the fruit is ripe. The fruit is picked or the above-ground parts are cut and dried. The fruit is then threshed down, sieved, or winnowed to remove impurities. The main active ingredients of Cnidium monnieri are several coumarin compounds, among which osthol is present in a relatively high amount.

Chemical Composition: Cnidium monnieri extract contains volatile oil, the main components of which are cycloferrugine, α- and β-pinene, camphene, isoborneol, borneol isovalerate, borneol acetate, methoxycarpus, etc. It also contains coumarin components such as osthol, osthol A, carvacrol methyl ether, bergamot lactone, isocarpus coumarin, xanthotoxin, isosaxanthin, etc. Additionally, it contains palmitic acid, β-sitosterol, etc.