A mini review on the nutritional compositions and pharmacological properties of litsea garciae

Abstract

Litsea garciae is an underutilized plant found in certain parts of South East Asia. The plant part has been traditionally used to treat, among others, skin infections, boil, rectal bleeding, muscular pain, and sprains. Besides its medicinal properties, its seasonal fruit is consumed for its avocado-like flavor. This article aims to provide information on what is known so far about the nutritional composition and pharmacological properties of Litsea garciae. © 2021, Malaysian Society of Applied Biology. All rights reserved.

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* To whom correspondence should be addressed.
Malays. Appl. Biol. (2021) 50(1): 29–39
A MINI REVIEW ON THE NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS AND
PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF Litsea garciae
ZUNIKA AMIT* and LING ZINYIN
Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences,
Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, 94300 Kota Samarahan, Sarawak, Malaysia
*E-mail: zunika@unimas.my
Accepted 8 May 2021, Published online 30 June 2021
ABSTRACT
Litsea garciae is an underutilized plant found in certain parts of South East Asia. The plant part has been traditionally
used to treat, among others, skin infections, boil, rectal bleeding, muscular pain, and sprains. Besides its medicinal properties,
its seasonal fruit is consumed for its avocado-like flavor. This article aims to provide information on what is known so far
about the nutritional composition and pharmacological properties of Litsea garciae.
Key words: Antioxidant, Litsea garciae, pharmacological, phytochemical, underutilized fruit
INTRODUCTION
The Lauraceae or the laurel family contains 50 genera
which include the genus Litsea. There are more
than 400 species in the genus Litsea, and it is
predominant in Asia, Australasia, and America
(Sampson & Berry, 2019) with 50 species can be
found in Malaysia (Mehat, 2008; Poli & Assim, 2019).
The ethnopharmacological properties and medicinal
uses of the genus Litsea have attracted much
attention in researches (Wang & Liu, 2010; Kamle
et al., 2019). A few species of Litsea, for example,
L. cubeba, L. japonica and L. salicifolia, have
been extensively studied and are shown to be
sources of secondary metabolites with important
chemical structures including alkaloids, lactones,
sesquiterpenes, flavonoids, lignans, and essential
oils. Extracts from different plant parts of Litsea
such as bark, leaf, and root show significant
pharmacological activities including anticancer,
anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, antioxidant,
antidiabetic, anti-HIV, and insecticidal (Wang & Liu,
2010; Wang et al., 2016; Kamle et al., 2019).
This article is the first review paper that gathers
the relevant literature to congregate the chemical and
pharmacological properties of Litsea garciae. The
common name of L. garciae is bagnolo/wuru lilin. In
the Sarawak state of Malaysia, the common name
differs according to the local languages: engkala as
in Malay language, enkala/pedar as in Iban language,
and ta’ang as in Bidayuh language (Poli & Assim,
2019). Litsea garciae originated from Borneo (Sabah
and Sarawak in Malaysia, Indonesian Kalimantan,
and Brunei), Indonesia (Java and Bangka), Taiwan,
and the Philippines. It grows wild from seed and can
be found in the inland riparian forest, secondary
forest, and rarely in mixed dipterocarp. Litsea garciae
is a sub-canopy, broadleaved evergreen tree that
maintains its green leaves throughout the year and
bears fruit once a year (Figure 1).
The edible part of L. garciae fruit includes the
fleshy part and the thin peel (Figure 2). It has a flavor
that is comparable to the Lauracea, Persea americana
(common name, avocado), and has a nickname of
“Borneo avocado”. The literature search revealed
only a few publications on L. garciae. Since there is
a lack of findings and information on L. garciae, this
literature review aims to reveal what is known so far
on its nutritional compositions, medicinal uses, and
other applications.
Nutritional compositions of Litsea garciae
Proximate and mineral compositions of Litsea
garciae
The proximate and mineral composition data
are obtained from Voon and Kueh (1999) and Husen
(2015). There are different results obtained from both
studies which are probably due to the different
analyses used and sites of plant collection (Demir &

30 THE NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF Litsea garciae
Fig. 2. Transformation of the white, unripe L. garciae fruit (A) into red, ripe fruit (B) with different parts of L. garciae
fruit (C) (adapted from (Lim, 2012)).
Fig. 1. Litsea garciae bearing fruits (A) and flowers (B) (adapted from (Bukbi, 2019)).
Ozcan, 2001). Litsea garciae contains a substantial
amount of energy with the flesh contains higher
energy than the seed (Table 1). The energy content
in L. garciae is lower than avocado (160 kcal) and
durian (147 kcal) but higher than a banana (89 kcal)
and papaya (43 kcal) (USDA, 2012). Voon and Kueh
(1999) report that the flesh has a high moisture
content (78.3%), which is in agreement with Husen
(2015) (68.8% in flesh & 71.7% in seed). Moisture
content is important as it affects the stability and
quality of the fruit besides contributing to the
refreshing character of the fruit. According to Voon
and Kueh (1999), there is a higher percentage of fat
(6.8%) compared to protein (1.4%) in the L. garciae
flesh. The fat content gives L. garciae the creamy
texture and buttermilk taste. Husen (2015) shows that
L. garciae has a high content of carbohydrate (22.1%
in the flesh and 18.6% in the seed) which probably
account for its high energy content.
The ash content is the measure of the mineral
contents present in this fruit. The ash content of the
flesh is 2.5% while the seed has 1.4%. The findings
of mineral contents by Voon and Kueh (1999) are
lower than by Husen (2015) except for magnesium,
copper, and zinc (Table 1). The flesh of L. garciae
contains 652.9 mg of potassium and 91.5 mg of

THE NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF Litsea garciae 31
Table 1. Nutrient contents of the flesh and seed of L. garciae fruit per 100 g of flesh/seed portion
Nutrient Contents Flesh Flesh Seed
Proximates
Energy (kcal) 104 93.3 83.4
Moisture (%) 78.3 68.8 71.7
Protein (%) 1.4 2.5 3.3
Fat (%) 6.8 NA NA
Carb (%) 10.0 22.1 18.6
Crude fibre (%) 1.0 4.0 5.0
Ash (%) 2.5 2.5 1.4
Minerals
Phosphorus (mg) 26 NA NA
Potassium (mg) 355 652.9 331.5
Calcium (mg) 7 7 2.4
Magnesium 17 3.7 1.8
Iron 0.5 4.9 1.1
Manganese (p.p.m) 5 NA NA
Copper (p.p.m) 2.6 1.0 0.6
Zinc (p.p.m) 10.2 1.6 1.1
Sodium NA 91.5 6.3
Vitamin C 3.4 11.8 (FD) 4.8 (FD)
34.7 (SHSD) 13 (SHSD)
Authors Voon & Kueh (1999) Husen (2015) Husen (2015)
NA= Not available; FD = freeze dried; SHSD = superheated-stream dried.
sodium per 100 g of flesh part where both values are
higher than the non-edible seed (Husen, 2015).
Potassium and sodium are electrolytes that regulate
the body fluid and blood volume. Adequate
potassium and sodium intake may promote blood
pressure control in adults. The United States Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) (FDA, 2000) claims
that food containing 350 mg of potassium and less
than 140 mg of sodium has the medical benefit for
blood pressure; thus, this suggests that L. garciae
is healthy food to consume.
Husen (2015) reports a high content of vitamin
C in the L. garciae flesh. Vitamin C is necessary for
the growth, development, and repair of all body
tissues in addition to its antioxidant properties.
The vitamin C content of the flesh is 11.8 mg and
34.7 mg by using the freeze-drying (FD) method
and superheated-steam drying (SHSD) method
respectively. In the SHSD method, the time taken for
the flesh to reach the final moisture of about 10% is
three hours compared to several days when using
the FD method. Hence, there is a possibility that the
vitamin C content is affected during the lengthy time
of drying the flesh samples. The vitamin content of
L. garciae is similar to mango (36.4 mg/100 g) and
higher than Persea americana flesh (8.0 mg/100 g)
(Dreher & Davenport, 2013).
Fatty acid composition
There is a slight variation in the fatty acid
compositions of L. garciae seed oils extracted from
different districts in Sarawak, Malaysia (Poli &
Assim, 2019). This is probably contributed by the
environmental factors and growth conditions among
the different districts (Sanchez-Martin et al., 2018).
The seed oil of L. garciae is very rich in saturated
fatty acids (SFA) (76.94 ± 1.50%), contains a
moderate percentage of monounsaturated fatty acids
(MUFA) (16.23 ± 1.20%), and a small percentage of
polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) (7.1 ± 0.79%)
(Poli & Assim, 2019). The predominant component
of SFA in L. garciae seed oil is lauric acid (40.73 ±
2.81%), followed by myristic acid (19.69 ± 0.52%),
palmitic acid (7.2 ± 0.63%), and capric acid (6.07 ±
2.01%). The significant amount of MUFA and PUFA
of L. garciae seed oil are contributed by oleic acid
(14.98 ± 1.44%) and linoleic acid (7.10 ± 0.79%)
respectively. Litsea garciae has a comparable amount
of beneficial SFAs to coconut oil and palm oil (Poli
& Assim, 2019), and it has more unsaturated fatty
acids than coconut oil which suggests that it can be
used as an alternative for coconut oil and palm oil.
Currently, available data on the composition of fatty
acid of L. garciae are only for the seed oil. It would
be interesting to know the compositions of fatty acid
from the flesh part of L. garciae too since this is the
edible part of the plant.
Nevertheless, the P. americana kernel oil is
loaded with good fat. It possesses a low proportion
of SFA (32.50 ± 0.12%), with a predominance of
palmitic acid at 20.85 ± 0.84%. There is a high
proportion of unsaturated fatty acids accounting
for approximately 67% of the total fatty acids. The
MUFA content is 20.71 ± 0.14%, with a predominance

32 THE NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF Litsea garciae
Table 2. Comparison of fatty acid composition between L. garciae, P. americana, C. nucifera, and E. guineensis kernel oils
C6:0
C7:0
C8:0
C9:0
C10:0
C11:0
C12:0
C13:0
C14:0
C15:0
C16:0
C18:0
C19:0
C20:0
C22:0
C24:0
Total SFAa
C14:1
C15:1
C16:1
C17:1
C18:1
C20:1
C22:1
Total MUFAb
C18:2
C18:3
C20:3
Total PUFAc
Caproic acid
Enanthic acid
Caprylic acid
Pelargonic acid
Capric acid
Undecylic acid
Lauric acid
Tridecylic acid
Myristic acid
–
Palmitic acid
Stearic acid
Nonadecylic acid
Arachidic acid
Behenic acid
Lignoceric acid
Myristoleic acid
–
Palmitoleic acid
–
Oleic acid
Gondoic acid
Erucic acid
Linoleic acid
α-Linolenic acid
–
–
–
–
–
6.07 ± 2.01
0.64 ± 0.02
40.73 ± 2.81
0.58 ± 0.10
19.69 ± 0.52
–
7.23 ± 0.63
2.01 ± 1.48
–
–
–
–
76.94 ± 1.50
–
–
0.63 ± 0.02
–
14.98 ± 1.44
0.62 ± 0.01
–
16.23 ± 1.20
7.10 ± 0.79
–
–
7.10 ± 0.79
0.80 ± 0.05
0.29 ± 0.10
0.28 ± 0.05
0.22 ± 0.01
–
–
0.28 ± 0.05
0.17 ± 0.01
0.54 ± 0.05
2.33 ± 0.11
20.85 ± 0.84
1.73 ± 0.02
1.19 ± 0.01
0.61 ± 0.34
0.04 ± 0.02
1.11 ± 0.02
32.50 ± 0.12
0.25 ± 0.00
0.32 ± 0.16
1.79 ± 0.33
0.37 ± 0.08
17.41 ± 0.06
0.45 ± 0.28
0.12 ± 0.04
20.71 ± 0.14
38.89 ± 0.59
6.58 ± 0.03
1.26 ± 0.03
46.73 ± 0.22
–
–
6.21 ± 0.34
–
6.15 ± 0.21
–
51.02 ± 0.71
–
18.94 ± 0.63
–
8.62 ± 0.50
1.94 ± 0.17
–
–
–
–
92.92 ± 0.56
–
–
–
–
5.84 ± 0.50
–
–
5.84 ± 0.46
1.28 ± 0.18
–
–
1.28 ± 0.17
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
1.23 ± 0.28
–
41.78 ± 1.27
3.39 ± 0.65
–
–
–
–
46.34 ± 0.40
–
–
–
–
41.90 ± 1.20
–
–
41.46 ± 0.56
11.03 ± 0.02
–
–
11.84 ± 0.92
Fatty acids Engkala
(L. garciae)
(Poli & Assim,
2019)
Avocado
(P. americana
Mill) (Bora
et al., 2001)
Coconut
(C. nucifera)
(Chowdhury
et al., 2007)
Palm
(E. guineensis
(Chowdhury
et al., 2007)
% of fatty acids
aSFA, Saturated Fatty Acid; bMUFA, Monounsaturated Fatty Acid; cPUFA, Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid.
of oleic acid at 17.41 ± 0.06%. The PUFA content is
46.73 ± 0.22%, with a predominance of linoleic acid
at 38.89 ± 0.59% (Dubois et al., 2007). Estruch et al.
(2013) show that a diet supplemented with foods
rich in unsaturated fatty acids reduces the incidence
of cardiovascular events by 30% after a follow-up
of about 5 years in subjects at high risk for cardio-
vascular disease.
Phytochemicals
There are about 63 alkaloid compounds that have
been identified in the genus Litsea (Kamle et al.,
2019). A study by Lee et al. (1995) obtained a few
alkaloids from L. garciae which are actinodaphnine,
boldine, isodomesticine, laurolitsine, and reticuline.
Then, Wulandari et al. (2018) showed that all the
extracts from branch, bark, and leaf of L. garciae,
formed using hexane, ethyl acetate, and ethanol
contain alkaloid and carotenoids (Table 3).
Coumarin is only absent in the ethyl acetate leaf
extract but present in all of the other extracts, while
triterpenoid and steroid are absent in n-hexane extract
and ethanol extract respectively. Saponins are absent
in all of the extracts from the three solvents. Saponins
are glycosides of triterpenes and steroids (Mugford
& Osbourn, 2012). The absence of saponins in this
study is probably because triterpenes and steroids
are not detected together in all of the samples (Table
3), hence no formation of saponin in the plants.
These results can also indicate that the different
solvents due to the differences in polarity will
selectively extract different compounds. The

THE NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF Litsea garciae 33
Table 3. Phytochemical screening of L. garciae (adapted from Wulandari et al., 2018)
Solvent Part Alk Flav Sap Tan Triter Ste Car Cou Caro
Branch + – – + – – + + –
n-hexane Bark + + – – – + + + –
Leaf + + – + – – + + –
Branch + + – + + – + + –
Ethyl acetate Bark + – – – + – + + +
Leaf + – – + – + + - +
Branch + + – + + – + + –
Ethanol Bark + + – + + – + + +
Leaf + + – – + – + + –
Remarks: (+) Present, (–) Absent, Alk; Alkaloids, Flav; Flavonoids, Sap; Saponins, Tan; Tannins, Triter; Triterpenoid, Ste; Steroid, Car;
Carbohydrate, Cou; Coumarin, Caro; Carotenoids.
phytochemicals that are detected in L. garciae are
also present in the other Litsea species, and they are
shown to have antioxidant, antiplatelet, antitumour,
anticonvulsant, antibacterial, antiviral, and anti-
plasmodial effects (Othman et al., 2019; Kamle et al.,
2019).
Phenolic and flavonoid content
Plant parts and fruits have been shown by many
epidemiological studies to be great sources of
natural antioxidants. Phenolic compounds are
abundant structures in plants, and antioxidant
compounds are usually in the phenolic form. Phenol
compounds can destroy radicals because they
contain hydroxyl groups. The hydrogen atom from
the hydroxyl groups is abstracted by the hydroxyl
radical resulting in phenol being converted to stable
phenoxyl radicals. Therefore, the determination of the
quantity of phenolic compounds is very important
to ascertain the antioxidant capacity of plant extracts
(Aksoy et al., 2013). The most important single
group of phenolics in food are flavonoids which
consist mainly of catechins, proanthocyanins,
anthocyanidins, flavones, flavonols, and their
glycosides (Tungmunnithum et al., 2018). Flavonoids
are crucial antioxidants since they have redox
potential, which allows them to act as a reducing
agent, hydrogen donors, and singlet oxygen
quenchers (Panche et al., 2016). The presence of
flavonoids is an indication that the plant could have
anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and antithrombotic
or vasoprotective effects (Panche et al., 2016).
A study by Wulandari et al. (2018) shows that
all the plant parts of L. garciae contain a significant
level of total phenolic, total flavonoid, and total
anthocyanin. The ethanol extract has the highest
total phenolic and flavonoid contents in all the plant
parts as compared to n-hexane and ethyl acetate
extracts. This can suggest that ethanol is the
solvent of choice for total phenolic and flavonoid
extraction (Table 4). About 39 compounds of
flavonoids have been recognized in Litsea species
which are primarily flavones, flavanols, flavanones,
flavanonols, anthocyanidins, chalcones, and flavan-
3-ols (Wang et al., 2016). Both flavonoid and
phenolic compounds are known to have multiple
biological effects including antioxidant and anti-
inflammatory properties.
For the fruit part (Table 5), the total phenolic
content is highest in the cupule and seed, followed
by the flesh from both the 80% methanol and
aqueous extracts. The same trend is also observed
for flavonoid contents where flavonoid content is
highest in the cupule and seed followed by the flesh
from both 80% methanol and aqueous extracts. On
the other hand, the flesh recorded the highest
content of anthocyanin, followed by the seed and
then cupule for both the 80% methanol and aqueous
extracts. Anthocyanin is naturally occurring pigments
in fruits and vegetables belonging to the group of
flavonoids. There are a few studies regarding the
positive association of their intake with healthy
biological effects such as reducing the risk of
coronary heart disease, acting as antioxidants,
improving visual acuity, and having anticancer
properties (Mukherjee, 2019).
Pharmacological properties of Litsea garciae
Traditional use of L. garciae
In Borneo, the indigenous people use some parts
of the L. garciae plants such as the leaves and barks
for traditional medicinal uses. In Sarawak, the Ibans
use the ground bark of L. garciae as a dressing for
the treatment of caterpillar stings and boils (Mirfat
et al., 2018). The bark is also used to make a
decoction for the treatment of rectal bleeding. The
Selako people use a poultice of leaves and young
shoots of L. garciae with the combination of shallot
and fennel seeds for the treatment of skin infections,
diseases, and burns. The Kayan people treat beriberi
by applying a warm poultice of L. garciae leaves,

34 THE NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF Litsea garciae
Table 5. The total phenolic, flavonoid, and anthocyanin contents of different parts of L. garciae fruit extracts (adapted
from Hassan et al., 2013)
Chemical content 80% methanol extract Aqueous extract
Cupule Seed Flesh Cupule Seed Flesh
Total phenolic (mg GAE/g) 8.29 ± 0.70 8.09 ± 0.60 2.65 ± 0.11 3.71 ± 0.24 3.54 ± 0.17 2.01 ± 0.07
Total flavonoid (mg RE/g) 6.90 ± 0.61 5.73 ± 1.39 2.05 ± 0.21 2.88 ± 0.23 2.63 ± 0.29 1.46 ± 0.15
Total anthocyanin (mg CE/100g) 0.35 ± 0.00 2.11 ± 0.03 4.12 ± 0.10 0.22 ± 0.03 1.42 ± 0.10 2.83 ± 0.23
Table 4. Total phenolic and flavonoid content of L. garciae (adapted from Wulandari et al., 2018)
Solvent Part Phenolic (μg GAE/mg extract) Flavonoid (μg GAE/mg extract)
Branch 30 ± 0.002 190 ± 0.004
n-hexane Bark 40 ± 0.002 170 ± 0.003
Leaf 30 ± 0.001 110 ± 0.002
Branch 30 ± 0.002 140 ± 0.005
Ethyl acetate Bark 40 ± 0.004 160 ± 0.005
Leaf 40 ± 0.004 210 ± 0.004
Branch 100 ± 0.001 1010 ± 0.002
Ethanol Bark 90 ± 0.009 800 ± 0.001
Leaf 100 ± 0.001 240 ± 0.001
Table 6. The antioxidant properties of L. garciae fruit extracts from different parts using three different assays (adapted
from Hassan et al., 2013)
Assays 80% methanol extract Aqueous extract
Cupule Seed Flesh Cupule Seed Flesh
1DPPH assay 16.7 ± 0.6 17.3 ± 2.3 60.0 ± 3.5 20.0 ± 0.0 22.7 ± 2.3 62.7 ± 4.6
2FRAP assay 2,050.0 ± 28.5 1,910.0 ± 59.2 410.0 ± 54.1 1,650.0 ± 29.7 690.0 ± 17.0 210.0 ± 9.7
3ABTS assay 25.05 ± 1.7 19.14 ± 1.7 4.05 ± 0.1 16.47 ± 2.0 6.86 ± 0.6 2.14 ± 1.0
1. 2,2-Diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate assay (DPPH assay)
DPPH free radical scavenging activity was expressed as IC50 (mg/mL).
2. Ferric reducing/antioxidant power (FRAP assay)
FRAP has expressed as μM ferric reduction to ferrous in 1 g of dry sample. 3)2,2'-3. Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid)
3. 2,2'-Azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid
ABTS assay free radical scavenging activity was expressed as mg ascorbic acid equivalent antioxidant capacity (AEAC) in 1 g of dry
sample.
4. Values are presented as mean ± SD (n=3) which, with different letters (within the column), are significantly different at α=0.05.
while the Kelabits make a cataplasm using the root
bark to cure the sprains. In addition to that, the
Penans use the pounded and warmed bark for the
treatment of muscular aches and sprains, and the
combination of L. garciae and durian bark is used
as an antidote for snake bites (Lim, 2012).
Besides medicinal purposes, the extraction of
oil from the L. garciae seeds is used in the
manufacturing of candles and soaps. Litsea garciae
woods have also been used as timbers in the
construction field (Lim, 2012). It is also suitable for
plywood production and interior decoration such as
flooring materials, furniture, and paneling.
Antioxidants
Hassan et al. (2013) demonstrated the potent
antioxidant activity of methanol and aqueous extracts
of L. garciae using three different assay systems
(DPPH assay, FRAP assay, and ABTS assay)
(Table 6). The FRAP and ABTS assays show that
the non-edible part of L. garciae displays the highest
antioxidant activity in comparison to the edible part
for both the methanol and aqueous extracts in the
order of cupule > seed > flesh (Hassan et al., 2013).
This is in agreement with the DPPH assay where the
lower the IC50, which is the concentration to deplete
the DPPH, the better the antioxidant activity

THE NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF Litsea garciae 35
displayed by the substance. The IC50 values are in
the order of cupule < seed < flesh. A previous study
by Soong and Barlow (2004) also showed that the
total antioxidant activity of the seeds from avocado,
jackfruit, longan, mango, and tamarind are also higher
compared to the edible portions.
The scavenging activity of L. garciae fruit parts
shows a similar trend as portrayed by the total
phenolic and total flavonoid contents (Table 5) where
the cupule has the highest level of total phenolic and
flavonoid contents followed by the seed and the
flesh. In addition, the detection of alkaloids,
flavonoids, tannins, coumarin, and carotenoids
(Table 3) in L. garciae suggests that L. garciae is a
rich source of natural antioxidants and therefore of
potential therapeutic agents in preventing oxidative-
stress related diseases.
Antimicrobial and antifungal properties
The branch, bark, and leaf from n-hexane, ethyl
acetate, and ethanol solvent extracts of L. garciae
with concentrations of 1250, 625, and 312.5 p.p.m
were tested for their antibacterial activity against
Propionibacterium acnes using micro broth dilution
test (Wulandari et al., 2018). All the samples inhibit
bacterial growth. The n-hexane and ethanol extracts
of the branch and ethyl acetate extract of the leaf
have a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) at
312.5 p.p.m (Table 7). The study of Wulandari et al.
(2018) did not show a strong antibacterial activity
probably because it used a higher concentration of
L. garciae (312.5 to 1250 p.p.m), and besides, the
active compound(s) may be present in insufficient
quantities to show activity with the dose employed.
The crude extract of L. garciae leaf show some
antifungal activities (Table 8) (Johnny et al., 2010;
Johnny et al., 2011). The methanol extract exhibits
higher antifungal activities against C. capsici than
towards C. gloeosporioides. On the other hand, the
chloroform extract shows a higher percentage of
radial growth inhibition on C. gloeosporioides than
towards C. capsici. The acetone extracts show
approximately a similar percentage of inhibition on
C. gloeosporioides and C. capsici at concentrations
of 1.00 and 10.00 μg/mL respectively.
The Litsea species have demonstrated anti-
microbial and antifungal activities against numerous
pathogenic strains. The essential oil of Litsea
species has been extensively studied for its
antimicrobial activities. For example, essential oil
from L. cubeba has marked antimicrobial effects on
Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Listeria monocytogenes,
Lactobacillus plantarum, and Hansenula anomala
in vitro, and in food products (Liu & Yang, 2012).
Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes,
Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Candida albicans, and Aspergillus niger are also
sensitive to the cytotoxic activity of the L. cubeba
essential oils (Saikia et al., 2013). The presence of
aldehydes (Li et al., 2014) and alkaloids (Zhang et
al., 2012) in the essential oil probably accounts for
its antimicrobial effects. The methanol extract of
L. glutinosa exhibits antibacterial activity com-
parable to chloramphenicol (Mandal et al., 2000)
while the essential oil of L. laevigata (Muhammed
et al., 2008) and L. acuminata (Su & Ho, 2013) have
great activity against gram-positive bacteria and
fungus. The essential oil from the root of L. resinosa
Table 7. Minimal Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) of L.
garciae using antibacterial assay (adapted from Wulandari
et al., 2018)
Solvent Part MIC (p.p.m)
Branch 625
n-hexane Bark 312.5
Leaf 625
Branch 625
Ethyl acetate Bark 1250
Leaf 312.5
Branch 625
Ethanol Bark 312.5
Leaf 625
Table 8. The percentage reduction of radial growth (mm) of Colletotrichum gloeosporioides (Cg) and Colletotrichum
capsici (Cc) by varying concentrations of L. garciae leaf extracts in different solvents using antifungal assay (adapted
from Johnny et al., 2010 and Johnny et al., 2011)
Solvent Mean ± S.E of % of Inhibition of Radial Growth (mm) Fungus
0.01 μg/mL 0.10 μg/mL 1.00 μg/mL 10.00 μg/mL
Methanol 13.31 ± 0.49 15.17 ± 0.55 15.26 ± 0.58 17.22 ± 0.78 Cg
13.59 ± 0.59 31.08 ± 0.77 33.77 ± 0.78 36.71 ± 1.41 Cc
Chloroform 14.24 ± 0.51 15.74 ± 0.67 17.73 ± 0.78 19.38 ± 0.48 Cg
1.94 ± 1.70 5.84 ± 1.26 8.85 ± 1.99 9.68 ± 1.53 Cc
Acetone 18.88 ± 0.69 21.16 ± 0.50 21.78 ± 0.63 22.68 ± 0.56 Cg
NI NI 24.48 ± 1.38 25.48 ± 1.26 Cc
All the values represented the mean ± standard error. NI = no inhibition.

36 THE NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF Litsea garciae
and L. elliptica shows significant antifungal
activities with inhibition rates of 80.11% and
66.85% respectively (Wong et al., 2014). Thus, the
essential oil of L. garciae can be explored further for
its potential as a natural antimicrobial source.
Anticancer activities
The anticancer activity of L. garciae on human
cell lines was investigated using MTT (3-(4,5-
Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium)
method. Litsea garciae has moderate cytotoxic
activities against three types of cell lines (Table 9)
(Kutoi et al., 2012). The methanolic bark extract of
L. garciae has moderate cytotoxic activities against
human breast cancer (MCF-7) cell lines and human
colorectal cancer (HT-29) cell lines with the IC50
values of 66 and 77 μg/mL respectively, and weak
cytotoxic activity against cervical cancer (HeLa)
cell lines with IC50 value of 117 μg/mL. On the other
hand, the methanolic leaf extract has no activity
against HeLa cell lines, weak towards MCF-7
cell lines (IC50 = 104 μg/mL), and has moderate cyto-
toxicity against HT-29 cell lines (IC50 = 73 μg/mL).
Other species of Litsea also demonstrate high
anticancer activities against numerous cell lines.
Among the studies, the alkaloids isolated from the
bark of L. cubeba exhibit very potent cytotoxic effect
on several cancer cell lines such as BGC-823 cells
(human gastric carcinoma), HepG2 cells (human
hepatocellular carcinoma), MCF-7 cells (human
breast cancer), SGC-7901 cells (human gastric
adenocarcinoma), SK-MEL-2 (human skin cancer),
and SK-OV-3 (ovarian cancer) with IC50 values
ranging from 9.54–12.22 μM (Zhang et al., 2012). In
addition, the butenolide isolated from the leaves of
Litsea lii var. nunkao tahangensis have high
cytotoxicity against MCF 7, NCI H460 (non-small
lung cancer), and SF 268 (glioblastoma cells) lines in
vitro (Wang et al., 2008). Two novel flavonoids with
chalcone skeleton isolated from the stem barks of
Litsea rubescens and Litsea pedunculata have
cytotoxic activities against myeloid leukemia (HL-60)
and carcinoma (A431) cell lines and more active than
cisplatin (DDP) (Li et al., 2011). The alkaloids, such
as boldine, are cytotoxic and induce apoptosis in
breast cancer cells (Pydar et al., 2014) as shown by
an increase in the release of lactate dehydrogenase,
membrane permeability, and DNA fragmentation.
Thus, more studies should be carried out to explore
the potential of different parts of L. garciae as an
anticancer agent.
Anti-inflammatory activity
Different parts of L. garciae have been used in
folk medicine for treatments of muscular aches,
sprained ankles and knees, skin disease, rectal
bleeding, boil, and snakebite, and caterpillar stings
(Mirfat et al., 2018). To date, only one study was
done to show the anti-inflammatory activity of
L. garciae. A study by Kutoi et al. (2012) shows the
methanolic crude extracts of barks, leaves, and fruits
of L. garciae exhibit some anti-inflammatory
properties (Table 10). The bark, leaf, and fruit extracts
inhibit lipoxygenase activity by 1.20%, 3.85%, and
9.42% respectively. There is a slightly higher
inhibition of hyaluronidase activity with inhibition
of 11.3%, 9.51%, and 27.7% for the barks, leaves,
and fruits respectively. In addition, the bark and leaf
extracts inhibit xanthine oxidase activity by 2.19%
and 2.26% respectively.
Other species of Litsea have been assessed for
their anti-inflammatory effects, for example, the
methanol extract of L. cubeba inhibits nitric oxide
(NO) and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) production in
lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-RAW-264.7 macrophages
(Choi & Hwang, 2004). The ethanol and water
root extracts of L. cubeba can reduce adjuvant
arthritis and decrease the expression levels of
cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) and 5-lipoxygenase in
rats with Freund’s complete adjuvant-induced
arthritis (Lin et al., 2013). The methanol extracts of
L. akoensis have significant anti-inflammatory
activity by inhibiting the production of nitric oxide
by 81.07% in LPS-induced macrophage at a dose
of 25 μg/ml (Lin et al., 2007). The ethanol and
chloroform extracts of L. japonica fruit significantly
inhibit the production of COX-2/PGE2 and NO/iNOS,
and pro-inflammatory cytokines by inhibiting the
NF-κB and JNK/p38 MAPK signaling in LPS-induced
macrophages (Koo et al., 2014).
Table 9. Inhibitory concentration of barks and leaves
methanolic extract on HeLa, MCF-7, and HT-29 (adapted
from Kutoi et al., 2012)
Cytotoxicity activities against
Part cell lines, IC50
HeLa MCF-7 HT-29
Barks (μg/mL) 117 66 77
Leaves (μg/mL) N/A 104 73
Table 10. Lipoxygenase (LO), Hyaluronidase (HO), and
Xanthine Oxidase (XO) inhibitory activities (adapted from
Kutoi et al., 2012)
Part Anti-Inflammatory Assay (% of inhibition)
LO Assay HO Assay XO Assay
Barks 1.20 11.30 2.19
Leaves 3.85 9.51 2.26
Fruits 9.42 27.70 Not Active

THE NUTRITIONAL COMPOSITIONS AND PHARMACOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF Litsea garciae 37
CONCLUSION
Litsea garciae has the potential to be promoted as
a healthy food since its fruit is rich in nutritional
components, and several studies had shown that
the plant parts contained some pharmacological
activities. However, the electronic data search
revealed extremely scarce data on L. garciae. More
studies should be done to identify the chemical
constituents, for example, the types of alkaloids,
butenolide, terpenes, flavonoids, amides, lignans,
steroids, and fatty acids of L. garciae. To unravel
the full therapeutic potential of the L. garciae plant,
more pharmacological investigations should be
performed. So far only antioxidants, antimicrobial,
antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer studies
were done for L. garciae, and the studies are far from
complete. The use of L. garciae bark as an antidote
for snakebite and dressing for caterpillar stings and
a treatment for boils and other skin diseases as
claimed by the locals should be explored. Other
pharmacological studies on plant parts of L. garciae
extracted with different solvent systems should be
done, for example, the antinociceptive effects,
antidiabetic activity, activity on the cardiovascular
system, antidiarrheal activity, aphrodisiac, and
hepatoprotective.
The authors are currently investigating the lipid
composition of L. garciae fruit extracted with two
solvent systems, which are petroleum ether and
chloroform: methanol (1:2). In addition, the authors
are also investigating the wound healing potentials
of the L. garciae fruit on the fibroblasts cell line. The
results from this study will become important
contributions and can fill up the gaps in the
knowledge on L. garciae.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The authors are grateful to Universiti Malaysia
Sarawak for financially supporting this work (Tun
Zaidi Chair Grant, F05/TZC/1916/2019).
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