As well as their traditional use as sedatives and analgesics, these plants have also been used as antimalarials, and both lactucin and lactucopicrin have demonstrated antimalarial effects in vitro.[3] Lactucopicrin has also been shown to act as an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor.[4]
^Wesołowska, A; Nikiforuk, A; Michalska, K; Kisiel, W; Chojnacka-Wójcik, E (Sep 2006). "Analgesic and sedative activities of lactucin and some lactucin-like guaianolides in mice". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 107 (2): 254–8. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2006.03.003. PMID16621374.
^Bischoff, TA; Kelley, CJ; Karchesy, Y; Laurantos, M; Nguyen-Dinh, P; Arefi, AG (2004). "Antimalarial activity of lactucin and lactucopicrin: sesquiterpene lactones isolated from Cichorium intybus L.". Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 95 (2–3): 455–7. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2004.06.031. PMID15507374.
^Rollinger, JM; Mocka, P; Zidorn, C; Ellmerer, EP; Langer, T; Stuppner, H (2005). "Application of the in combo screening approach for the discovery of non-alkaloid acetylcholinesterase inhibitors from Cichorium intybus". Current Drug Discovery Technologies. 2 (3): 185–93. doi:10.2174/1570163054866855. PMID16472227.