There are a vast range of chemicals found in plants including; phenols, polyphenols, steroids, alkaloids, flavonoids, carotenoids and vitamins. These phytochemicals can have a variety of actions within the animals' body, which make the species a medicinal herb. Those actions beneficial to animal health are listed below and are categorised as either having a defensive role (eg. killing bacteria) or a supportive one (eg. enhancing the immune system). It is these properties which Park Tonks look for when evaluating new raw materials and including them in formulations for specific health problems.