plants Review Ethnopharmacological Properties and Medicinal Uses of Litsea cubeba Madhu Kamle 1, Dipendra K. Mahato 2, Kyung Eun Lee 3, Vivek K. Bajpai 4, Padam Raj Gajurel 1, Kang Sang Gu 3,5,* and Pradeep Kumar 1,* 1 Department of Forestry, North Eastern Regional Institute of Science and Technology, Nirjuli 791109, India; [email protected] (M.K.); [email protected] (P.R.G.) 2 School of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, VIC 3125, Australia; [email protected] 3 Molecular Genetics Lab, Department of Biotechnology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 38541, Korea; [email protected] 4 Department of Energy and Material Engineering, Dongguk University-Seoul, Seoul 04620, Korea; [email protected] 5 Stemforce, 302 Institute of Industrial Technology, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Gyeongbuk 38541, Korea; [email protected] * Correspondence: [email protected] (K.S.G.); [email protected] (P.K.) Received: 8 May 2019; Accepted: 30 May 2019; Published: 1 June 2019 Abstract: The genus Litsea is predominant in tropical and subtropical regions of India, China, Taiwan, and Japan. The plant possesses medicinal properties and has been traditionally used for curing various gastro-intestinal ailments (e.g., diarrhea, stomachache, indigestion, and gastroenteritis) along with diabetes, edema, cold, arthritis, asthma, and traumatic injury. Besides its medicinal properties, Litsea is known for its essential oil, which has protective action against several bacteria, possesses antioxidant and antiparasitic properties, exerts acute and genetic toxicity as well as cytotoxicity, and can even prevent several cancers. Here we summarize the ethnopharmacological properties, essentials oil, medicinal uses, and health benefits of an indigenous plant of northeast India, emphasizing the profound research to uplift the core and immense potential present in the conventional medicine of the country. This review is intended to provide insights into the gaps in our knowledge that need immediate focus on in-situ conservation strategies of Litsea due to its non-domesticated and dioecious nature, which may be the most viable approach and intense research for the long-term benefits of society and local peoples. Keywords: human health; antimicrobial; essential oils; bioactive compound; conservation 1. Introduction Litsea cubeba Pers., Lauraceae, consists of more than 400 species [1] and is predominant in tropical and subtropical regions of India, Southeast Asia, southern China, Taiwan, and Japan. Litsea is evergreen, fast growing, and a rare deciduous tree or shrub that attains a height of about 8 m, growing spontaneously in the eastern Himalayas, Assam, Manipur, and Arunachal Pradesh up to an altitude of 2700 m from sea level [2]. In the Assam state of India, the tree is known as “mejankari”, while it is commonly called “May Chang” or “Chinese pepper” in China. Litsea plants are the primary source for traditional medicines but they also serve as a secondary source of food for muga silk worms (Antheraea assama)[3]. The muga silk (“mejankari pat”) produced from the Litsea plant is very attractive and more expensive than the silk produced from other plants [4]. The silk cocoons fed with Litsea produce high value silk, which is creamy, glossy, and five times more expensive than silk produced from a primary source of food plant, i.e., Machilus bombycina King [3]. Plants 2019, 8, 150; doi:10.3390/plants8060150 www.mdpi.com/journal/plants Plants 2019, 8, x 150 2 2of of 14 13 Litsea cubeba is a pioneer herb traditionally utilized in medicine. Different extracts from its plant parts,Litsea such cubeba as bark,is a leaf, pioneer root, herb and traditionally fruits, have utilizedbeen utilized in medicine. in traditional Different Chinese extracts medicines from its plant for curingparts, suchvarious as bark, diseases leaf, root,[5,6]. andThe fruits,fresh havegreen been fruit utilized is used in for traditional culinary Chinese purposes medicines like salad for preparation,curing various chutneys, diseases pickles, [5,6]. The etc. fresh [7]. green The L. fruit cubeba is used essential for culinary oil (LEO) purposes extracted like saladfrom preparation,fresh fruits containschutneys, about pickles, 60–90% etc. [7 ].citral The contentL. cubeba [6],essential and is oilessential (LEO) extractedoil with volat fromile fresh compounds fruits contains having about an intense60–90% lemon-like, citral content fresh, [6], andsweet is essentialaroma, and oil withinsoluble volatile in water. compounds It was havingfound effective an intense against lemon-like, Vicia faba,fresh, and sweet weevil aroma, (Bruchus and rufimanus insoluble) in[8]. water. China Itis wasthe one found of the effective largest against producersVicia and faba, exporterand weevil of L. cubeba(Bruchus oilrufimanus in the world.)[8]. More China than is the 4.4 one million of the lb largest of LEO producers has been and produced exporter per of year,L. cubeba and oilthree in quartersthe world. of Morethat production than 4.4 million is exported lb of LEO to England, has been United produced States, per France, year, and Germany, three quarters Holland, of thatand otherproduction countries is exported [9]. LEO to is England, highly aromatic United States,in nature France, and extracted Germany, from Holland, the fresh and otherfruits countriesto exploit [as9]. anLEO enhancer is highly of aromatic aroma in in cosmetic nature and products extracted besides from in the foods. fresh This fruits is to employed exploit as as an raw enhancer material of aromain the productionin cosmetic of products citral, vitamin besides A, in E, foods. and K, This ionine is employed and methylionine, as raw material and perfumes, in the production and also to of impart citral, antimicrobialvitamin A, E, and K,insecticidal ionine and properties methylionine, [10–12]. and Additionally, perfumes, and LEO also is toalso impart used antimicrobial as an antifungal and agentinsecticidal and bio-insecticides properties [10–12 in]. the Additionally, storage of LEOgrains, is also foods, used archival as an antifungal documents, agent and/or and bio-insecticides clothing. The driedin the fruits storage are of used grains, for foods, several archival medicinal documents, purposes and such/or clothing. as carminative The dried (relieves fruits areflatulence), used for diureticseveral medicinal(aids urine purposes passage), such expectorant as carminative (aids (relievessecretion flatulence), of sputum), diuretic stimulant, (aids urinestomach passage), ache, antiasthmatic,expectorant (aids sedative, secretion antidysentric, of sputum), stimulant,and antise stomachptic [6,9,13]. ache, antiasthmatic,Some recent sedative,studies described antidysentric, the functionaland antiseptic properties [6,9,13]. of Some L. cubeba recent, studiessuch as described its therapeutic the functional [9], antimicrobial properties of [14,15],L. cubeba antioxidant, such as its [12,16],therapeutic anti-cancerous [9], antimicrobial [17,18], [14 ,anti-inflammatory15], antioxidant [12 ,[19],16], anti-cancerous anti-diabetic [[20–22],17,18], anti-inflammatory and anti-insecticidal [19], activitiesanti-diabetic [23–25] [20– (Figure22], and 1). anti-insecticidal activities [23–25] (Figure1). FigureFigure 1. 1. VariousVarious ethnopharmacological ethnopharmacological applications and uses of essential oil of Litsea cubeba. 2. Ethnopharmacological Uses of Litsea Species 2. Ethnopharmacological Uses of Litsea Species Different species of the genus Litsea have been used as traditional herbal medicines since 600 A.D. Different species of the genus Litsea have been used as traditional herbal medicines since 600 and as sources of important secondary metabolites [26–28]. Most Litsea species produces odor active A.D. and as sources of important secondary metabolites [26–28]. Most Litsea species produces odor compounds while the fruits contain biologically active components that are utilized in various foods active compounds while the fruits contain biologically active components that are utilized in various as a source of natural ingredients and for flavor [9,29]. The ethnopharmacological properties and uses foods as a source of natural ingredients and for flavor [9,29]. The ethnopharmacological properties of Litsea species are briefly described in Table1. and uses of Litsea species are briefly described in Table 1. Plants 2019, 8, 150 3 of 13 Table 1. Ethnopharmacological properties of Litsea species and their uses. Country Species Plant Parts Ethnopharmacological Properties Solvent/Ratio/Dose Administered Reference 15–30 µL of the oil dissolved in Taiwan L. akoensis Hayata Stem bark Cytotoxicity, antimicrobial activity dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) inoculated to [30] plates with test microorganisms 50 µL of 1 mg/mL MTT administered against China, Taiwan, Indochina L. acutivena Hayata Leaves and twigs Oil for antimicrobial [31] A549 and HT-29 cells Pain reliever, promotes blood circulation, relieves Fruits stomach distension, asthma, demesia, diarrhea, turbid - urine, and traumatic injury India, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, Relieves cold, stomachache, headache, L. cubeba (Lour.) Pers. Roots - [28,32–34] and other parts of Southeast Asia dermatophytosis, and arthralgia Promotes blood circulation, cures mammitis, heals 100 to 200 mg/kg of extract daily for a period Leaves hemostasis, sores furuncle, insect and snake bites, of 21 days in rats cures myocardial infarction in Wistar rats L. chinensis (Gaertn.) India Fruit, leaves, stem Activates sexual behavior 500 mg/kg