Litsea garciae

Litsea garciae
Young Litsea garciae tree at the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden, Miami, Florida
Scientific classification Edit this 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[2]

Litsea garciae, also known as engkala, engkalak, kangkala, pangalaban and Borneo avocado, is a flowering plant belonging to the family Lauraceae and genus Litsea.[2][3][better source needed] It is native to Taiwan, the Philippines, Borneo, the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, and Sulawesi.[4]

Litsea garciae is notable for its use in traditional medicine and as a source of essential oils. Its fruits contain high levels of phytochemicals which are antioxidants, and stearic acid which has shown to have antibacterial properties.

Litsea garciae fruit, raw
Vitamins and minerals
VitaminsQuantity
%DV†
Vitamin C
4%
3.4 mg
MineralsQuantity
%DV†
Calcium
1%
7 mg
Copper
29%
0.26 mg
Iron
3%
0.5 mg
Magnesium
4%
17 mg
Manganese
22%
0.5 mg
Phosphorus
2%
26 mg
Potassium
12%
355 mg
Zinc
11%
1.2 mg
†Percentages estimated using US recommendations for adults,[5] except for potassium, which is estimated based on expert recommendation from the National Academies.[6]
  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.
  2. ^ a b "Litsea garciae Vidal". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. 2023. Retrieved 7 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Engkala facts | Health Benefits". Health Benefits Times. 12 September 2016. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  4. ^ "Litsea garciae S.Vidal". Global Biodiversity Information Facility. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  5. ^ United States Food and Drug Administration (2024). "Daily Value on the Nutrition and Supplement Facts Labels". FDA. Archived from the original on 2024-03-27. Retrieved 2024-03-28.
  6. ^ National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; Health and Medicine Division; Food and Nutrition Board; Committee to Review the Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium (2019). Oria, Maria; Harrison, Meghan; Stallings, Virginia A. (eds.). Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. The National Academies Collection: Reports funded by National Institutes of Health. Washington, DC: National Academies Press (US). ISBN 978-0-309-48834-1. PMID 30844154. Archived from the original on 2024-05-09. Retrieved 2024-06-21.