Compositions and <i>in vitro</i> Anticancer activities of the Leaf and Fruit Oils of <i>Litsea cubeba</i> from Taiwan

Abstract

The leaf and fruit essential oils of Litsea cubeba, extracted by hydrodistillation, were assessed for anticancer activities. A total of 53 and 50 compounds were identified, respectively from the leaf and fruit oils, and their yields were 13.9 +/- 0.09% and 4.0 +/- 0.03%, v/w, of the oven-dried materials, respectively. The main compound in the leaf oil was 1,8-cineol, and in the fruit oil, citral. The fruit oil, but not that of the leaf, exhibited cytotoxic activity against human lung, liver and oral cancer cells.