Abstract: Isatis has a long history of medicinal use in China, among which the roots and leaves of Isatis indigotica are Banlangen and Daqingye. Genus Isatis plants have a variety of chemical constituents, including alkaloids, glucosinolates, lignans and flavonoids, which have the pharmacological activities of antibacterial, antivirus, antiendotoxin, antitumor, anti-inflammatory, immune regulation, etc. The paper made a systematic summary about research on the chemical constituents and pharmacological effects of Isatis in China and abroad for forty years to provide the references for further studies.