Ligustilide is a phthalide derivative and is one of the main lipophilic compounds of Danggui essential oil and Rhizoma Chuanxiong, a Chinese medicinal herb.

Ligustilide has been used as a treatment to test its anti-apoptotic effects on rat chondrocytes and sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-stimulated chondrocytes in both in vitro and in vivo studies. It has also been used as a treatment to study anti-atherosclerosis effects on high-fat diet-fed mice and cytoprotective effects on tert-butyl hydroperoxide (t-BHP)-evoked EA.hy926 cells.

Ligustilide can inhibit the proliferation of and cell cycle progression of vascular smooth muscle cells and inhibits vasoconstriction. It increases vasodilation, anti-thrombosis, and serotonergic activity and decreases platelet aggregation. It has been shown to have broad applications in the study and treatment of cardiovascular diseases and ischemic brain injury. Ligustilide has the ability to reduce neurogenic and inflammatory pain. Thus, it can be used as a potential therapeutic agent to treat several pain syndromes including primary dysmenorrhoea.