Chemical constituents, nutritional composition and biological activities of litsea garciae / Khong Heng Yen & Clifford Junaidi Kutoi

Litsea (Lauraceae) genus has about 400 species distibuted throughout the tropical and subtropical Asis (except Africa), the Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand. About 54 Litsea species were identified in Peninsular Malaysia (Corner, 1998) and about 22 in Borneo island, upon which 47 species were reduced to synonymy (Ng, 2005).Local communities such as the Bidayuh and Iban use some local Litsea species as traditional medicine to treat sprained or swollen ankle or knee, scabies and gastric problem. Litsea graciae are used as an antidote againts scorpian bite, centipede, snake bite and wound caused by poisonous fish fins. In addition, L. Accedens and L. Insignis are used to treat stomachache and for invigorating purposes after childbirth (Chai, 2006).