Traditionally used for
- Digestion
- Urinary & fluids
☯ TCM Properties
Traditional Chinese Uses
Bi Cheng Qie (Fructus Litseae) is the small aromatic fruit of Litsea cubeba (may chang, mountain spice tree). Contrary to a "clearing Heat" classification, it is a pungent, aromatic and warm herb of the interior-warming group, entering the Spleen, Stomach, Kidney and Bladder channels. It warms the Middle Jiao, disperses Cold, moves stagnant Qi and descends rebellious Stomach Qi, relieving Cold-type epigastric and abdominal pain, distension, poor appetite, hiccups, belching, nausea and vomiting.
It also warms the Kidney and Bladder to disperse lower-Jiao Cold, addressing turbid, cloudy or difficult urination (a "gao lin"-type stranguria) and cold hernial pain. Acrid and drying, it is often paired with warming, Qi-regulating herbs such as Gao Liang Jiang or Xiang Fu. Because it is warm and dispersing, it is contraindicated in Yin deficiency with Heat signs.
Relationships
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Botanical Description
Litsea cubeba, known as may chang or mountain pepper, is a small deciduous to semi-evergreen aromatic tree of the Lauraceae family native to southern China and across much of subtropical Southeast Asia. The tree typically grows five to ten meters tall with a slender trunk, greyish-brown smooth bark, and a thinly spreading crown; all parts of the plant are strongly fragrant of lemon when crushed. Leaves are alternate, narrowly lanceolate to oblong, eight to twelve centimeters long, with entire margins, a pointed apex, and a pleasantly citrus-scented essential oil. Small pale-yellow flowers appear in clusters on bare branches in early spring before the new leaves, the plant being dioecious. Female trees produce abundant small pepper-like spherical drupes about five millimeters across, ripening through green to glossy black, with a strong lemony aroma.
Active Constituents
Geranial (trans-citral, citral A)
Acyclic monoterpene aldehydeConcentration: geranial plus neral together make up 78.7-87.4% of the fruit essential oil in Chinese samples; total oil yield of the fruit is 3.04-4.56%
The dominant constituent and the principal antimicrobial and antifungal agent of the oil, with reported minimum inhibitory concentrations against bacteria and fungi in the region of 50-1000 micrograms/mL. At biocidal concentrations citral disrupts membrane structure and cell respiration, causing rapid energy depletion and cell death.
Neral (cis-citral, citral B)
Acyclic monoterpene aldehydeConcentration: the geometric isomer of geranial; the two together dominate the fruit oil at 78.7-87.4%
Shares the antimicrobial and antioxidant activity of geranial; the two isomers are usually reported and regulated together as citral.
D-Limonene
Monocyclic monoterpene hydrocarbonConcentration: 0.7-5.3% in fruit oils from eight Chinese production regions, notably lower than the 6.0-14.6% reported in earlier literature
Contributes to the citrus odour and to the antimicrobial and antioxidant profile of the oil. Its proportion varies substantially by provenance, one of several reasons commercial Litsea cubeba oils are not interchangeable.
Citronellal
Acyclic monoterpene aldehydeConcentration: dominant in the citronellal chemotype rather than the citral chemotype
Litsea cubeba exists as at least two chemotypes, one dominated by citral and limonene and the other by citronellal. A citronellal-rich oil has a different odour and a different antimicrobial profile from the pharmacopoeial citral-rich material.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Sedatives and CNS depressants (e.g. benzodiazepines, sedating antihistamines)
The only human data are from a 15-subject crossover study in which inhaled Litsea cubeba essential oil reduced total mood disturbance and salivary cortisol relative to water vapour, with heart rate and blood pressure unchanged. No pharmacokinetic or pharmacodynamic interaction study exists for this herb, and the effect size and route make a clinically meaningful interaction unlikely; the entry is recorded so that aromatherapy use is disclosed rather than because harm is expected.
Clinical note: No dose change is warranted. Ask patients on sedatives to mention concentrated essential-oil use, and keep undiluted oil away from mucous membranes and out of oral use. Citral is a regulated fragrance allergen in the EU, so topical application of the neat oil can sensitise the skin.
Dosage
| Form | Amount | Frequency | Duration | Population | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| decoction | See note — route-specific dosing | Daily | — | — | 中国药典 2020 【用法与用量】l~3g。 【性味与归经】辛，温。归脾、胃、肾、膀胱经。 — Chinese Pharmacopoeia 2020, quoted verbatim; route and cautions preserved. Replaces a cleared category-filler value. |
Evidence Tier
Moderate evidence · 1 studyRecorded studies by study design, strongest design at the top. This is a study-design tier only, not a GRADE rating: it does not weigh risk of bias, consistency or precision.
Systematic review / meta-analysis
0
Randomized controlled trial
1
0 verified · 1 unverified
Other clinical trial
0
Observational / case report
0
In vitro / animal
0
Other / unclassified
0
Verified: design read from PubMed for a DOI that resolves to the cited paper Unverified: taken from the study's recorded description
Clinical Studies
Effects of Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Persoon Essential Oil Aromatherapy on Mood States and Salivary Cortisol Levels in Healthy Volunteers
Small crossover study in 15 healthy volunteers (5 male, 10 female) exposed to distilled water vapour and then to Litsea cubeba essential oil vapour in a single session, with Profile of Mood States scoring and salivary cortisol by ELISA at baseline and after each exposure. Inhalation of the oil significantly improved total mood disturbance and reduced the confusion subscale, and lowered salivary cortisol; heart rate and blood pressure were essentially unchanged. The sample is very small and the exposure a single session, so this supports no more than a short-term relaxant effect of inhalation.
Historical Texts
Hai Yao Ben Cao
Five Dynasties period (10th century)Kai Bao Ben Cao
Northern Song dynasty (973 CE)Ben Cao Gang Mu
Ming dynasty (1596)References
- Thielmann J, Muranyi P. Review on the chemical composition of Litsea cubeba essential oils and the bioactivity of its major constituents citral and limonene . Journal of Essential Oil Research (2019) [DOI]
- Si L, Chen Y, Han X, Zhan Z, Tian S, Cui Q, Wang Y. Chemical Composition of Essential Oils of Litsea cubeba Harvested from Its Distribution Areas in China . Molecules (2012) [DOI]
- Kong D-G, Zhao Y, Li G-H, Chen B-J, Wang X-N, Zhou H-L, et al.. The genus Litsea in traditional Chinese medicine: An ethnomedical, phytochemical and pharmacological review . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2015) [DOI]
- Kamle M, Mahato DK, Lee KE, Bajpai VK, Gajurel PR, Gu KS, Kumar P. Ethnopharmacological Properties and Medicinal Uses of Litsea cubeba . Plants (2019) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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