College of Oriental Medicine, Dongguk University, Gyeong Ju 780-714, KoreaReceived August 30, 2011, Accepted October 15, 2011Key Words : Sparganium stoloniferum , Sparganiaceae, 1 H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid, 3-hydroxy-3-methylgl-utaric acid (HMG), CytotoxicitySparganium (Bur-reed) is a genus of flowering plants,which contains about 20 species in temperate regions of boththe Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Three Sparganiumspecies, S. stoloniferum, S. angustifolium, and S. japonicum,grow in Korea. S. stoloniferum is widely distributed in thewet valley areas, and has been used as an emmenagogue, agalactogogue, and an antispasmodic agent in Chinese folkmedicine,