N-Butylidenephthalide is a phthalide derivative useful for control of sensation disorder and olfaction disorder. It is a bioactive phthalide compound of Chuanxiong rhizoma, a Chinese herbal medicine used for treating headache obtained from the root of Ligusticum chuanxiong Hort. It has found that it can regulate tumor stem cell genes EZH2/AXL and reduced its migration and invasion in glioblastoma. Moreover, it can induce apoptosis in the A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cell line by coupled down-regulation of AP-2a and telomerase activity. Therefore, it is a potential cancer chemotherapy drug. Moreover, It can also exhibit protection against neurotoxicity through regulation of tryptophan 2, 3 dioxygenase in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. Finally, it has certain antiplatelet effect.
