Litsea garciae

*Litsea garciae* fruit, raw
Vitamins	Quantity %DV†
Vitamin C	4% 3.4 mg
Minerals	Quantity %DV†
Calcium	1% 7 mg
Copper	13% 0.26 mg
Iron	4% 0.5 mg
Magnesium	5% 17 mg
Manganese	24% 0.5 mg
Phosphorus	4% 26 mg
Potassium	8% 355 mg
Zinc	13% 1.2 mg
	Units; μg = micrograms • mg = milligrams; IU = International units;
	†Percentages are roughly approximated using US recommendations for adults.

Litsea garciae
	Young Litsea garciae tree at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami, Florida
Conservation status
	; Least Concern (IUCN 3.1)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Magnoliids
Order:	Laurales
Family:	Lauraceae
Genus:	Litsea
Species:	L. garciae
Binomial name
	Litsea garciae; Vidal, 1886
Synonyms
	Cylicodaphne garciae (Vidal) Nakai; Lepidadenia kawakamii (Hayata) Masam.; Litsea griseola Elmer; Litsea kawakamii Hayata; Tetradenia kawakamii (Hayata) ex Makino & ;

Fruits of Litsea Garciae

Litsea garciae, also known as engkala, kalangkala, kangkala, medang, pangalaban, ta'ang, malai, wuru lilin, kelimah, bua talal, kelime, kelimie, bua' vengolobon, wi lahal, kelima, mali, beva' mali, kayu mali, malei, pengalaban, pengolaban, kupa, pipi, bagnolo, lan yu mu jiang zi, lan yu mu, buah tebuluh, tebulus, pong labon, and Borneo avocado, is a flowering tree in the family Lauraceae.^[2]

Distribution[]

Litsea garciae is native to Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Indonesia, specifically to Peninsular Malaysia and the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi.^[3] It is generally believed to have originated in the Philippines, although some botanists believe it originated in Borneo.^[4] It grows wild in evergreen, broad-leaved forests and in disturbed, open sites up to 200 meters (656 feet) in elevation. It is often found along rivers and on hillsides with sandy to clay soils, and prefers partly shady positions.^[5]

Description[]

Litsea garciae is a sub-canopy, medium to large evergreen tree which grows 10–26 meters (32–85 feet) in height. The trunk can reach 60 centimeters (23 inches) in diameter.^[5] The dark green leaves are simple and alternately arranged and are lanceolate-ovate or lanceolate-obovate in shape. They are glabrous and measure 25-40 centimeters (10-16 inches) in length and 6-15 centimeters (2-6 inches) in width. They droop slightly from the branches. The flowers are small and yellow-white in color. The flower head measures 15 millimeters in diameter. The fruit is oblate to globose in shape and measures 2.2-3 centimeters (0.8-1 inches) in height and 2.5-4.5 centimeters (1-2 inches) in diameter. It is edible and has a milky, avocado-like flavor. When unripe, the skin is a pale whitish-green, and when ripe is pink to red in color. The inner flesh is soft and white in color, sometimes with a greenish tint. The stem cap is large and green in color. It contains 1 large, brown seed which measures 1.5-2 centimeters (0.6-0.8 inches) in diameter.^[6] The tree does not tolerate frost or temperatures below 55 F (12 C).^[7] The plant bears fruit at five years of age.^[8]

Uses[]

The fruit is eaten raw or cooked, and the tree is sometimes cultivated for its fruit. When eaten raw, it is rolled in the hands or hit with a spoon to cause slight bruising in order to release the flavor.^[7] A popular way of eating the fruit is to submerge it in hot water for five minutes, then sprinkle it with salt. It is sometimes served steamed with rice. Unripe fruits are pickled.^[8] An oil is extracted from the seed, which is used to make candles and soap. The wood is used in construction.^[5] Litsea garciae has many medicinal uses. The Iban use the lightly burned bark to treat caterpillar stings, and use a bark poultice to treat boils. The Selako use a poultice of the leaves or shoots along with shallot and fennel seeds to cure infections and skin diseases. It is also used to treat skin burns. The Penan use a bark poultice for sprained knees, ankles, and muscular pains. Decoctions made from the bark are also used to help ailments such as blood in stools, and are mixed with durian bark to make an antidote for snakebite wounds.^[2]

Chemistry[]

Litsea garciae fruits contain a high amount of phytochemicals, which has potential as a natural antioxidant that can contribute to human health. Phenolic and flavonoid content was highest in the stem cap, with the values of 8.29±0.70 milligrams gallic acid and 6.90±0.61 milligrams rutin, respectively. Anthocyanin content was highest in the flesh of the fruit, with the value of 4.12±0.10 milligrams cyanidin-3-glucoside. The same trend of antioxidant and phytochemical content was also found in the distilled water extract.^[9] The fruit is also rich in stearic acid and contains antibacterial properties.^[10]

References[]

^ Rogier de Kok (formerly Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (25 September 2019). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Litsea garciae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Engkala facts | Health Benefits". Health Benefits Times. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
^ "Litsea garciae S.Vidal". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
^ "ENGKALA_Litsea garciae | Fruitipedia". fruitipedia.com. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "Litsea garciae - Useful Tropical Plants". Useful Tropical Plants. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
^ "Engkala Facts, Health Benefits and Nutritional Value". Health Benefits Times. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Litsea garciae". Tropical Plant Book. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b "Engkalak". Specialty Produce. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
^ Hassan, Siti Hawa Ali; Fry, Jeffrey R.; Bakar, Mohd Fadzelly Abu (1 October 2013). "Antioxidant and phytochemical study on pengolaban (Litsea garciae), an edible underutilized fruit endemic to Borneo". Food Science and Biotechnology. 22 (5): 1–7. doi:10.1007/s10068-013-0202-x. ISSN 2092-6456. S2CID 85432083.
^ Kutoi, Clifford Junaidi; Khong, Heng Yen; Seruji, Nurr Maria Ulfa (March 2013). "Nutritional Content, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Litsea Garciae". The Open Conference Proceedings Journal. 4 (1): 115. doi:10.2174/2210289201304010115. Retrieved 6 March 2021.

[1] Rogier de Kok (formerly Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (25 September 2019). "IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Litsea garciae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Retrieved 6 March 2021.

[HBT-2] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Engkala facts | Health Benefits". Health Benefits Times. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2021.

[3] "Litsea garciae S.Vidal". www.gbif.org. Retrieved 6 March 2021.

[4] "ENGKALA_Litsea garciae | Fruitipedia". fruitipedia.com. Retrieved 6 March 2021.

[THEFERNS-5] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c "Litsea garciae - Useful Tropical Plants". Useful Tropical Plants. Retrieved 6 March 2021.

[HBTa-6] "Engkala Facts, Health Benefits and Nutritional Value". Health Benefits Times. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2021.

[TPB-7] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Litsea garciae". Tropical Plant Book. Retrieved 6 March 2021.

[SPECIALTY-8] Jump up to: ^a ^b "Engkalak". Specialty Produce. Retrieved 6 March 2021.

[9] Hassan, Siti Hawa Ali; Fry, Jeffrey R.; Bakar, Mohd Fadzelly Abu (1 October 2013). "Antioxidant and phytochemical study on pengolaban (Litsea garciae), an edible underutilized fruit endemic to Borneo". Food Science and Biotechnology. 22 (5): 1–7. doi:10.1007/s10068-013-0202-x. ISSN 2092-6456. S2CID 85432083.

[10] Kutoi, Clifford Junaidi; Khong, Heng Yen; Seruji, Nurr Maria Ulfa (March 2013). "Nutritional Content, Antioxidant and Antibacterial Activities of Litsea Garciae". The Open Conference Proceedings Journal. 4 (1): 115. doi:10.2174/2210289201304010115. Retrieved 6 March 2021.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]