Modern pharmacological actions of Longan fruits and their usages in traditional herbal remedies

Abstract

Longan is an ever green tree of the Sapindaceae family. Longman fruit is grown commercially in many countries like China, India, Thailand, Vietnam and etc. In China, import of the longan fruit has been increasing in recent years. Longan are demanded in the market in various types such as fresh, dried, frozen and processed. Twelve important compounds longan are (1) β-sitosterol, (2) 2-phenylethanol, (3) 2-methyl-1,10-undecanediol, (4) (24R)-6β-hydroxy-24-ethyl-cholest-4-en-3-one, (4) Oleanolic acid, (5) Pinoresinol, (7) Nicotinic acid, (8) 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, (9) β-daucosterol, (10) 1-O-methyl-D-myo-inositol, (11) Uracil, and (12) Adenosine. The most important antioxidant compounds extract from longan shell are isovanillin, scopoletin, quercetin, hyperin, astragalin, and β-phenylethyl alcohol. The longan is suitable for the tropical zone subtopics in heat season. The flesh fruit is much in juicy, low in acid, high in sugar. Longan fruit has high nutritional and medicinal values and its main functional metabolites include polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids and carotenoids. The functional metabolites provide medicinal, anticancer and antiaging benefits to humans. Longan fruit is used for enhancing memory, promoting blood metabolism, relieving insomnia and preventing amnesia. Its secondary metabolic products have been also shown to have anti-oxidative, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, anti-tyrosinase and immunomodulatory activities. Both longan flowers (long yan hua) and fruit (long yan rou) are used in traditional Chinese medicine and herbal preparations, but the fruit is used much more frequently. Longan contains several vitamins and minerals, including iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium and large amounts of vitamins A and C. In traditional Chinese medicine, longan fruits are considered warm, sweet and astringent. Many parts of the plant are used medicinally including the fruit itself, and dried fruits, relieves anxiety. The leaves are cool the system, and the flowers and seeds aid the kidneys. The roots are used to treat diabetics and to treat gonorrhea. All in all, the most important health benefits of longan are skin care, anti-aging, boosts libido, anti-anxiety, treats insomnia, blood tonic, promotes weight loss, increases energy, controls blood pressure, neuroprotection, strengthens immunity, speeds-up healing, prevents chronic diseases, aids in digestion, improves memory, vision health, useful in treating snake bites, and appropriate in dental care. The obtained findings suggest potential of longan as superfruit and its extract as an additive in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The bioactive compounds and pharmaceutical characteristics of longan should be studied to cosmetic and pharmaceutical products in the future.

Full text

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Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies 2019; 7(4): 179-185
ISSN (E): 2320-3862
ISSN (P): 2394-0530
NAAS Rating: 3.53
JMPS 2019; 7(4): 179-185
© 2019 JMPS
Received: 06-05-2019
Accepted: 10-06-2019
Mohamad Hesam Shahrajabian
(a) Biotechnology Research
Institute, Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences, Beijing
100081, China
(b) Nitrogen Fixation
Laboratory, Qi Institute,
Building C4, No. 555 Chuangye
Road, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang,
China
Wenli Sun
(a) Biotechnology Research
Institute, Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences, Beijing
100081, China
(b) Nitrogen Fixation
Laboratory, Qi Institute,
Building C4, No. 555 Chuangye
Road, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang,
China
QI Cheng
(a) Biotechnology Research
Institute, Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences, Beijing
100081, China
(b) Nitrogen Fixation
Laboratory, Qi Institute,
Building C4, No. 555 Chuangye
Road, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang,
China
Correspondence
QI Cheng
(a) Biotechnology Research
Institute, Chinese Academy of
Agricultural Sciences, Beijing
100081, China
(b) Nitrogen Fixation
Laboratory, Qi Institute,
Building C4, No. 555 Chuangye
Road, Jiaxing 314000, Zhejiang,
China
Modern pharmacological actions of Longan fruits
and their usages in traditional herbal remedies
Mohamad Hesam Shahrajabian, Wenli Sun and QI Cheng
Abstract
Longan is an ever green tree of the Sapindaceae family. Longman fruit is grown commercially in many
countries like China, India, Thailand, Vietnam and etc. In China, import of the longan fruit has been
increasing in recent years. Longan are demanded in the market in various types such as fresh, dried,
frozen and processed. Twelve important compounds longan are (1) β-sitosterol, (2) 2-phenylethanol, (3)
2-methyl-1,10-undecanediol, (4) (24R)-6β-hydroxy-24-ethyl-cholest-4-en-3-one, (4) Oleanolic acid, (5)
Pinoresinol, (7) Nicotinic acid, (8) 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, (9) β-daucosterol, (10) 1-O-methyl-D-myo-
inositol, (11) Uracil, and (12) Adenosine. The most important antioxidant compounds extract from
longan shell are isovanillin, scopoletin, quercetin, hyperin, astragalin, and β-phenylethyl alcohol. The
longan is suitable for the tropical zone subtopics in heat season. The flesh fruit is much in juicy, low in
acid, high in sugar. Longan fruit has high nutritional and medicinal values and its main functional
metabolites include polysaccharides, flavonoids, alkaloids and carotenoids. The functional metabolites
provide medicinal, anticancer and antiaging benefits to humans. Longan fruit is used for enhancing
memory, promoting blood metabolism, relieving insomnia and preventing amnesia. Its secondary
metabolic products have been also shown to have anti-oxidative, anti-obesity, anti-cancer, anti-tyrosinase
and immunomodulatory activities. Both longan flowers (long yan hua) and fruit (long yan rou) are used
in traditional Chinese medicine and herbal preparations, but the fruit is used much more frequently.
Longan contains several vitamins and minerals, including iron, magnesium, phosphorus and potassium
and large amounts of vitamins A and C. In traditional Chinese medicine, longan fruits are considered
warm, sweet and astringent. Many parts of the plant are used medicinally including the fruit itself, and
dried fruits, relieves anxiety. The leaves are cool the system, and the flowers and seeds aid the kidneys.
The roots are used to treat diabetics and to treat gonorrhea. All in all, the most important health benefits
of longan are skin care, anti-aging, boosts libido, anti-anxiety, treats insomnia, blood tonic, promotes
weight loss, increases energy, controls blood pressure, neuroprotection, strengthens immunity, speeds-up
healing, prevents chronic diseases, aids in digestion, improves memory, vision health, useful in treating
snake bites, and appropriate in dental care. The obtained findings suggest potential of longan as
superfruit and its extract as an additive in the food and pharmaceutical industries. The bioactive
compounds and pharmaceutical characteristics of longan should be studied to cosmetic and
pharmaceutical products in the future.
Keywords: Longan, traditional chinese medicine; modern pharmacological science
Introduction
Longan occurrence and cultivation
Traditional Asian medicine, especially traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) become more
integrated into medical practice in the west [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11]. Longan (Dimocarpus longan
Lour.) is an important economic fruit in South and South East of China [12]. Longan is the
member of Sapindaceae family, and like other important tropical fruit crops, such as lychee
and rambutan, is native to Southern China. Other important edible fruit species of Sapindaceae
family are lychee (Litchi chinensis Sonn.), rambutan (Nephelium lappaceum L.), guarana
(Paullinia cupana Kunth), korlan (Nephelium hypoleucum Kurz), pitomba (Talisia esculenta
Radlk), Spanish lime (Melicoccus bijugatus Jascq.), pulasan (Nephelim mutabile Blume) or
ackee (Blighia sapida K.D. Koenig) [13]. The genus Dimocapus contained six species, out of
which five species (Dimocarpus longan, Dimocarpus dentatus, Dimocarpus gardneri,
Dimocarpus foveolatus and Dimocarpus fumatus) exists in Asian countries stretching from
India to eastern Malaysia and one (Dimocarpus australianus) in Australia [14]. But the major
cultivated longan in different areas is Dimocarpus longan [15]. Local names in English are
lungan, longan tree, longan, dragon, s eye, in French is loganier, in German is longanbaum, in
Spanish are mamoncillo chino and longan. The use of KClO3 became a common practice

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Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies
amongst growers, which helped considerably to overcome the
problem of biennial bearing and to produce economically
viable off-season longan fruit. The unique flower inducing
effect of KClO3 in longan within 17-28 days of treatment
provides an excellent opportunity for scientists to study the
physiological mechanisms during the transition process from
vegetative to floral bud development [16]. Longan scientific
classification is shown in Table 1.
Table 1: Longan scientific classification.
Kingdom
Plantae
Unranked
Angiosperms
Unranked
Eudicots
Unranked
Rosids
Order
Sapindales
Family
Sapindaceae
Genus
Dimocarpus
Species
D. longan
Longan nutritional composition and chemical constituents
Runato and Chaiwong [17] found that soluble solids content
(SSC) increased rapidly in parallel with enhancing fruit size
and maturity until around week 27 after floral emergence. At
the end of the ripening process, it reached the maximum level
at 25.07±1.21 oBrix when the longan fruits were around 95%
of the final size, and after that SSC started to significantly and
quickly decrease even thought the fruit size was still slightly
growing. Moreover, in his experiment, shoot content of N, P,
K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn and Al declined with increase in soil Al,
which demonstrated that longan is highly susceptible to acid
soils. Prukwarun et al. [18] found that the quality of dried
product depends on the temperature and velocity at each
position in the dryer. Sodchit et al. [19] stated that the longan
fruits treated with N-acetyl-L-cysteine tended to decrease
disease incidence and lowered weight loss 2 compared with
those treated with 4-hexylresorcinol. Phytochemical analysis
from Dimocarpus longan aerial parts extract is shown in
Table 2.
Table 2: Phytochemical analysis from Dimocarpus longan aerial parts extract [20].
Constituents
Chloroform
Ethyl acetate
Methanol 80%
Triterpenes and/or Sterols
+
+
+
Carbohydrates and/or glycosides
-
+
+
Flavonoids
-
+
+
Coumarins
-
-
-
Alkaloids and/or nitrogenous compounds
-
-
-
Tannins
-
+
+
Saponins
-
-
-
(+) presence of constituents, (-) absence of constituents
Table 3: The most important antioxidant compounds extracted from
longan shell [21].
1. Isovanillin
2. Scopoletin
3. Quercetin
4. Hyperin
5. Astragalin
6. β-phenylethyl alcohol
7. Piperine
Table 4: Content of marker substance in longan seed extract [22].
Samples
Gallic acid
(mg/g)
Corilagin
(mg/g)
Ethyl gallate
(mg/g)
Ellagic acid
(mg/g)
DW
4.9
10.5
-
5.7
DL
5.7
20.8
2.4
8.9
DLP
72.8
159.2
24.8
73.6
DLPS
112.2
245.2
34.2
63.0
DW: Crude water extract; DL: Crude 50% ethanol extract; DLP:
Ethyl acetate; DLPS: sub-fractions
Medicinal uses and potential health benefits of longan in
traditional medicine and modern industry
In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), longans are plants
they belong to the Tonic herbs for Blood Deficiency category.
Longans are plants that are warm in nature. Longans tase
sweet and on the basis of five elements theory, sweet
ingredients like longans tend to slow down acute reactions
and detoxify body. The most actions of longans in traditional
Chinese medicine are nourishes the blood, calms the spirit,
relieves fatigue, especially mental fatigue. It is commonly
combined with hers such as Dang Gui, Yuan Zhi, Suan Zao
Ren and Ren Shen in formulas for heart and spleen
deficiencies. Dried longan pulp has been widely used as
traditional Chinese medicine for health protection mainly due
to its immune-modulatory function [23]. Hsu et al. [24] reported
that the fruit of Dimocarpus longan was used as a traditional
Chinese medicine for different treatments, such as promoting
blood metabolism, soothing nerves and relieving insomnia.
Lin et al. [25] reported that longan flowers and seeds, two
TCMs traditionally used for relieving pain and urinary
diseases, and they exhibit strong anti-oxidant activity and
possess rich amounts of polyphenolic species which could be
applied for the treatment of diabetes and cancer. In TCM,
longan flower extracts have anti-oxidant activity and effect on
inflammation and metabolic disorders and anti-colorectal
cancer effects of LFE [25]. Suttitanawat et al. [26] reported that
longan has medicinal attributed and mineral salt properties
that the body needs such as a slight amount copper, zinc and
etc. Liu et al. [27] showed that longan barks and leaves not
only were excellent sources of free-radical inhibitors, but also
had potential use in the production of ellagic acid. They have
found that the ellagic acid in longan barks and leaves exist
mostly in the form of ellagitannins. The percentage yield of
hot water extract in dried longan pulp was 40.36%, the total
phenol and polysaccharide content is the extract was 12.15
mg/g and 58.4 mg/g, respectively [28]. Longan seeds have been
found to be a rich source of antioxidant, phenolic compounds,
such as gallic acid, corilagin and ellagic acid [29]. And it has
been reported that gallic acid has a strong antioxidant effect,
and ellagic acid has cytotoxic effect on cancer cells, but not
normal human lung fibroblast cells [30]. Lee et al. [31] pointed
out that longan seed extract is known for antioxidative,
antiproliferative, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic and
hypouremic effects. It has been reported to contain gallic acid,
corilagin (an ellagitannin), ellagic acid, soyacerebrosides I
and II, 1-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(2S,3R,4E,8E)-2-(2/-
lignoceroyl amino)-4, 8-octadecadiene-1,3-diol(longan
cerebroside I) and its 8 Zisomer (longan cerebroside II),
momor-cerebroside I and phytolacca cerebroside [32]. Cheng et
al. [33] found that the treated longan juice and its ethanol-

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Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies
soluble sugar fraction promoted the growth of Streptococus
thermophiles, Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus
delbrueckii, showing a good potential of the treated longan
juice for producing functional foods and nutraceuticals. It has
been reported that longan has ascorbic acid, and ascorbic acid
is well known for its strong antioxidant activity [34], whilst
gallic and ellagic acids have proven pharmacological
properties such as antityrosinase, antiglycation, antifungal and
anticancer [35]. Sudjaroen [36] indicated that the longan seed is
the good source of chemo preventive agents for antimicrobial
activity by inhibiting growth of S. aureus, P. aeruginosa and
C. albicans and in vitro antimalarial activities to P.
falciparum, with no evidence of cytotoxicity by in vitro
cytotoxic screening assay with vero cells. They have also
mentioned that gallic acid, ellagic acid and ellagitannins may
play role of antimicrobial and antimalarial activities by
precipitated microbial proteins. Rashed et al. [37] found that
ethyl acetate from Dimocarpus longan aerial parts extract has
shown anti-HIV-1 activity and the other extracts were active
as anti-HIV-1 agents. In their experiment, phytochemical
analysis of the plant extracts proves the presence of
triterpenes, flavonoids, tannins and carbohydrate. Florenly et
al. [38] stated that pre-treatment with D. longan peel fruit
antidote reduced the levels of biochemical parameters and
oxidative stress parameters, and the decreased levels of MDA,
urea, creatinine, SGOT and SGPT were 51%, 74%, 30.26%,
31.37%, 26.74% and 67.19%, respectively. They have also
found that the pre-treatment with D. longan peel fruit also
reduced the damage in kidney tissue. Yang et al. [39] suggested
that longan pericarp fractions possessed significant
antioxidant activities and could be a promising source of
natural antioxidant. Puspita et al. [40] confirmed that the
longan leaf ethanol extract possess marked antiproliferative
activity on cancer-derived cell lines. Rong et al. [41] noted that
knowing the structural features and activities of active
polysaccharide of longan gibes the insights into longan
polysaccharide application as an immunomodulatory agent.
Zhang et al. [42] showed that the aqueous extract from longan
dimocarpus (Lour.) leaves could inhibit the occurrence of
kidney calculi. Son et al. [43] observed that longan fruit
extracts (LFE) has anti-osteoporotic activity through
inhibition of osteoclast differentiation and may have potential
as a herbal therapeutic or preventive agent for the treatment of
osteoporosis. Huang et al. [44] showed the anti-inflammatory
effects of the water extract of longan pericarp (WLP) maybe
related to nitric oxide (NO) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-
α) suppression and associated with the increase in the
activities of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase,
superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. Overall,
they have concluded that WLP might serve as a natural
antioxidant and inflammatory inhibitor. Pan et al. (45)
revealed that langan peel (MEL) and Soxhlet extract of
Langan peel (SEL) showed excellent antioxidant,
furthermore, the suitability of MEL and SEL as substitute of
synthetic antioxidant 2,6-di-ter-butyl-4-methylphenol (BHT).
The most important benefits of longan are skin care, anti-
aging, boosts libido, flights anxiety, treats insomnia, it may
use for blood tonic, promotes weight loss, increase energy,
control blood pressure, strengthens immunity, it may use for
neuroprotection, speeds-up healing, prevents chronic diseases,
aids in digestion, improves memory, it may use for vision
health, treats snake bites, dental care and etc. The most
important side effects of longan are an increase risk of
gastrointestinal distress and complications in pregnancy.
Nutrition facts of longan fruit per 100 grams, percentage of
RDA is shown in Table 5. Nutritional value of longan per 100
g fresh weight is presented in Table 6. Phytochemicals present
in longan fruit pericarps and seed is shown in Table 7.
Pharmacological properties in longan fruit portions is shown
in Table 8.
Table 5: Nutrition facts of longan fruit per 100 grams, percentage of
RDA (Recommended dietary allowance).
Vitamins
Thiamine (B1)
(3% of RDA) 0.031 mg
Riboflavin (B2)
(12% of RDA) 0.14 mg
Niacin (B3)
(2% of RDA) 0.3 mg
Vitamin C
(101% of RDA) 84 mg
Minerals
Calcium
(0% of RDA) 1 mg
Iron
(1% of RDA) 0.13 mg
Magnesium
(3% of RDA) 10 mg
Manganese
(2% of RDA) 0.052 mg
Phosphorus
(3% of RDA) 21 mg
Potassium
(6% of RDA) 266 mg
Sodium
(0% of RDA) 0 mg
Zinc
(1% of RDA) 0.05 mg
Protein
1.31g
Threonine
0.034 g
Isoleucine
0.026 g
Leucine
0.054 g
Lysine
0.046 g
Methionine
0.013 g
Phenylalanine
0.030 g
Tyrosine
0.025 g
Valine
0.058 g
Arginine
0.035 g
Histidine
0.012 g
Alanine
0.157 g
Aspartic acid
0.126 g
Glutamic acid
0.209 g
Glycine
0.042 g
Proline
0.042 g
Serine
0.048 g
Fat
0.1g
Energy
251 KJ (60 kcal)
Carbohydrates
15.14 g
Dietary fiber
1.1 g
Table 6: Nutritional value of longan per 100 g fresh weight [46].
Longan
Water (g)
81
Protein (g)
1.2
Fat (g)
0.1
Carbohydrate (g)
16
Vitamin C (mg)
60
Thiamine (mg)
0.04
Niacin (mg)
1.0
Riboflavin (mg)
0.03
Phosphorus (mg)
26
Iron (mg)
0.4
Calcium (mg)
13

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Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies
Table 7: Phytochemicals present in longan fruit pericarps and seeds [47].
Portion
Phytochemicals
Pericarp
Gallic acid, corilagin, (-)-epicatechin, ellagic acid and its conjugates, quercetin, flavones glycosides, 4-O-methylgallic acid,
flavones glycosides, glycosides of quercetin and kaempferol, protocatechuic acid, brevifolin
Seed
Gallic acid, corilagin, ellagitannins corilagin, ellagic acid 4-O-α-L-arabinofuranoside, isomallotinic acid, geraniin, ethyl gallate,
grevifolinand, 4-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-ellagic acid, p-coumaric acid-glycoside, isoscopoletin, proanthocyanidins C1, 1-O-
galloyl-D-glucopyranose, (S)-flavogallonic acid, methyl ellagic acid glucopyranoside
The pericarp and seed portions as the by-products of longan
fruits are estimated to be approximately 30% of the dry
weight of the whole fruit and are rich in bioactive
constituents. Many biological activities such as tyrosinase
inhibitory, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory,
immunomodulatory, anti-glycated, and anti-cancer activities
as well as memory-increasing effects, have been reported for
longan pericarp and seed extracts [47]. Phytochemical analysis
of the extracts of longans is shown in Table 9. The most
important health benefits of longan is shown in Table 10.
Table 8: Pharmacological properties in longan fruit portions [47].
Pharmacological properties
Longan
Antioxidant activity
Pericarp and seed
Antimicrobial activity
Seed
Anti-cancer activity
Anti-inflammatory property
Immunomodulatory activity
Pericarp
Anti-diabetes
Pericarp
Anti-cardiovascular activity
Anti-edema
Anti-fragility
Anti-liver injury
Antiviral activity
Table 9: Phytochemical analysis of the extracts of longans [48].
Phytoconstituents
Seed extract
Peel extract
Alkaloids
A
A
Proteins
P
P
Carbohydrates
P
P
Glycosides
P
P
Fixed oils
P
P
Tannins and Phenolic compounds
P
P
Flavonoids
P
P
Steroids
P
P
A= Absent, P = Present
Table 10: The most important health benefits of longan.
1. It can protect the brain
2. It may boost the immune system because of vitamin C
3. It may reduce inflammation
4. It may be an antioxidant
5. It can combat cancer because it is containing polyphenols
6. It may help with diabetes
7. It can help with insomnia or any sleeping disorder
8. It may reduce blood pressure
9. It can improve anemia because it is rich of iron
10. It can improve gout
11. It can help burn fat
12. It may improve memory
13. It can boost energy levels
14. It may be anti-aging
15. It can boost bone health
16. It is an excellent stress remedy
17. As Qi tonic for energy booster
18. It is good for healthy weight loss diet
19. It is a natural remedy for stomachache
20. It is good for oral health
21. It uses as wound recovery enhancer
Panyathep et al. [49] mentioned that in Chinese medicine, the
flesh of the fruit is used a stomachic, febrifuge, vermifuge,
and as an antidote for poison, and the dried longan is also
used as a tonic and or the treatments of insomnia and
neurasthenic neurosis. Longans and red dates together
produce amazing health benefits especially in boosting the
immune system and replenishing the blood. Rashed and
Fouche [50] showed that petroleum extract of D. longan leaf
has a significant anticancer effect on UACC62 (melanoma)
cancer cells, so it D. longan leaf could be helpful in cancer
prevention and treatment. Anticancer activity of D. longan
leaf extracts.
Table 11: Anticancer activity of D. longan leaf extracts [50].
Extract
Con., µg/ml
Growth TK10, %
SD
Growth UACC62, %
SD
Growth MCF7, %
SD
Petroleum ether extract
100
-25.92
0.021
-77.40
0.094
24.48
0.088
Chloroform
100
-4.04
0.046
-21.79
0.002
0.92
0.007
Ethyl acetate
100
87.35
0.026
58.38
0.077
66.03
0.073
Methanol 80%
100
86.12
0.056
52.52
0.007
54.34
0.128
EMETINE
10µM
-61.35
0.007
-86.66
0.006
-46.41
-61.35
SD is standard deviation. % Growth is the net growth of the cells in treated wells compated to untreated controls over the 48h experimental
period, i.e. 100% growth means there are the same amount of cells in treated wells as in untreated control wells; 0% growth means the treated
wells contain the same number of cells as at the start of the incubation, time 0 (thus no increase in cell number); -100% growth means there are
no cells left in the well after 48h.
Yi et al. [51] indicated that the amino acid-involved Maillard
reactions (MR) is a promising method to modify native
polysaccharides for better biological properties. Albicans to
acrylic strips, which indicated that longan seed extract and its
polyphenolic compounds can be used as an antifungal agent
in oral care products for the treatment of opportunistic yeast
infection. Li and Tao [52] found that powedered longan shell
was a promising biosorbent for rapid removal of cationic dyes
from aqueous solution. Park et al. [53] suggested that longan
fruit extract (LEF) exerts its osteogenic activity through
activation of the ERK signaling pathway and may have
potential as an herbal therapeutic or a preventive agent for the
treatment of osteoporosis. Tseng et al. [54] discovered that the
sub-fraction of ethyl acetate extract showed antimicrobial
activity on several microorganisms, which could be used as
natural antimicrobial agents in skin care and human health. Yi
et al. [55] demonstrated that the polysaccharide-protein
complexes of longan pulp have medical potential as

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Journal of Medicinal Plants Studies
immunotherapeutic adjuvants due to their immunomodulatory
activities. Tang et al. [56] found that flavonoids in seed and
alkaloids in pericarp had potential to be developed as anti-
hyperglycemic agents. Fu et al. [57] indicated that longan
pericarp proanthocyanidins (LPPs) are promising antioxidant
which could be applied as potential functional food
components. Rerk-am et al. [58] expressed that the crude
ethanolic extracts of longan peels and seeds exhibit good
antioxidant activity; the obtained extracts were consisted of
polyphenolic compounds, namely gallic acid, corilagin and
ellagic acid. Losuwannarak et al. [59] explored that longan
seed extract could be beneficial for memory impairment in
Alzheimer, s disease in which cholinergic deficit is one of the
hallmarks.
Conclusion
Longan fruits are preferably eaten fresh, and they have a
delicate and sweet-tasting flesh. This fruit can also be
processed to make dried pulp, canned fruit, jam, drinks and
wine. This review article allowed verifying that longan is an
important sources of compounds with valuable nutritional and
bioactive properties, but more clinical studies may necessary
to uncover the numerous substances and their effects in
longan that contribute to public health.
Financial disclosure: No financial disclosure was declared
by the authors.
Conflict of interest: No conflict of interest was declared by
the authors.
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