Abstract: Alpha linolenic acid belongs to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and is one of the essential fatty acids of human which can't be synthesized in human body without supplement outside.Oil plants which could be used as a source and the physiological function of alpha linolenic acid was simply introduced.Then it was reviewed that the application of alpha linolenic acid in the domestic and foreign food,medicine,daily chemical products and other aspects,revealing alphalinolenic acid had a broad prospect with the hope of helping the development of the alpha linolenic acid.