Litsea cubeba
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| May Chang | ||||||||||||||
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| Litsea cubeba |
May Chang (Litsea cubeba) is an evergreen tree or shrub 5-12 meters high in the Lauraceae family. It is native to China, Indonesia and other parts of Southeast Asia. It produces a fruit which is processed for its lemony essential oil. The oil can also be extracted from the leaf, but this is considered to be lower in quality. The timber is sometimes used for making furniture and crafts. Plant parts are also used in medicine.
Essential oil yields from the fruit are 3-5%. The oils primary isolate is citral, at 70-85% of the oil.[1] It is mainly produced in China from plantations and is marketed as "Litsea cubebea", with production estimates between 500 - 1,500 tonnes of oil per annum. The oil is used as a fragrance and for flavouring in its own right. It is also used as a raw material by the chemical industry for the synthesis of vitamin A and violet-like fragrances. [2]
[edit] References
- ^ Lawless, J., The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils, ISBN 1-85230-661-0
- ^ Litsea cubeba FAO essential oil profile[1]
