Rhodiola rosea, a perennial herb of the genus Rhodiola in the Crassulaceae family, is commonly used to treat depression, fatigue, cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Herbacetin is a natural flavonol compound extracted from Rhodiola rosea plant, with many pharmacological effects such as anti-cancer effect, anti-oxidant effect and anti-inflammatory effect. In this paper, the pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of herbacetin were summarized by consulting domestic and foreign literature, in order to provide a theoretical basis for the development and utilization of herbacetin.