The main components in the oil are costunolide, dihydrocostunolide, lignan, monoterpene, α-and β-costunone, terpineol, camphene, phellandrene, costunolic acid, palmitic acid, isodehydrocostunolide, dehydroxylolactone, isochrysanthemin, etc. It also contains a variety of amino acids, such as aspartic acid, glutamic acid, glycine, alanine, ornithine, citrulline and so on. It is warm in nature, pungent and bitter in taste, and has the effects of promoting circulation of qi to relieve pain, warming the stomach, soothing the liver to relieve depression, and preventing miscarriage. It can be used to treat chest and abdomen distension and pain, diarrhea, indigestion, anorexia, and fetal movement.
Aucklandia lappa originated in India, and was imported from Guangdong in the past, so it was called Aucklandia lappa. Later, it was successfully introduced in Yunnan and produced in large quantities. Its quality was the same as that of imported Aucklandia lappa, so it was renamed Aucklandia lappa. Now it is mainly cultivated in Lijiang and Weixi, Yunnan; Sichuan, Tibet, Hubei and other provinces have also introduced.