Litsea cubeba oil is taken from Litsea Cubeba, which is a small plant found in tropical areas. Its leaves are typically vibrant green with a pleasant, lemon like smell. The essential oil is extracted through steam distillation process from its small, pepper-like fruits. The oil has good therapeutic properties. Further, it can also be used as a stimulant & tonic. Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil has been used historically in both Japan and Taiwan for reasons listed above. Litsea Cubeba is the botanical name for May Chang, a tree belonging to the Lauraceae family. It bears whitish-yellowish flowers that have a characteristic citrusy fragrance and fruits that resemble peppers. Litsea cubeba, or ‘May Chang,’ is a tree that is native to the Southern region of China, as well as the tropical areas of Southeast Asia such as Indonesia and Taiwan, but varieties of the plant have also been found as far as Australia and South Africa. The tree is very popular in these areas and has been utilized for a variety of reasons for hundreds of years.

The genus Litsea is predominant in tropical and subtropical regions of India, China, Taiwan, and Japan. The plant possesses medicinal properties and has been traditionally used for curing various gastro-intestinal ailments (e.g., diarrhea, stomachache, indigestion, and gastroenteritis) along with diabetes, edema, cold, arthritis, asthma, and traumatic injury. Besides its medicinal properties, Litsea is known for its essential oil, which has protective action against several bacteria, possesses antioxidant and antiparasitic properties, exerts acute and genetic toxicity as well as cytotoxicity, and can even prevent several cancers. Here we summarize the ethnopharmacological properties, essentials oil, medicinal uses, and health benefits of an indigenous plant of northeast India, emphasizing the profound research to uplift the core and immense potential present in the conventional medicine of the country. This review is intended to provide insights into the gaps in our knowledge that need immediate focus on in-situ conservation strategies of Litsea due to its non-domesticated and dioecious nature, which may be the most viable approach and intense research for the long-term benefits of society and local peoples.