Canthin-6-one, a natural product isolated and purified from the barks of Ailanthus altissima, has antimicrobial, antifungal, cytotoxic, antiinflammatory, antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects.

Ailanthone, a natural product isolated and purified from the barks of Ailanthus altissima with high toxicity, has significant pre-emergence herbicide activity directly correlated to its concentration.

2,6-Dimethoxy-1-acetonylquinol, a natural product isolated and purified from the barks of Ailanthus altissima, shows varying degrees of in vitro antimalarial activity against Plasmodium falciparum and is devoid of significant cytotoxicity to the human oral epidermoid KB cancer cell line.