Ethnopharmacological relevance: Litchi chinensis Sonn. (Sapindaceae) has been widely used in many
cultures for the treatment of cough, flatulence, stomach ulcers, diabetes, obesity, testicular swelling,
hernia-like conditions, and epigastric and neuralgic pains. The ethnopharmacologial history of L. chinensis indicated that it possesses hypoglycemic, anticancer, antibacterial, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-platelet, anti-tussive, analgesic, antipyretic, hemostatic, diuretic, and antiviral activities.
Aim of the review: The aim of this review is to provide up-to-date information on the botanical characterization, distribution, traditional uses, and chemical constituents, as well as the pharmacological
activities and toxicity of L. chinensis. Moreover, the focus of this review is the possible exploitation of this
plant to treat different diseases and to suggest future investigations.
Materials and methods: To provide an overview of the ethnopharmacology, chemical constituents, and
pharmacological activities of litchi, and to reveal their therapeutic potentials and being an evidence base
for further research works, information on litchi was gathered from scientific journals, books, and
worldwide accepted scientific databases via a library and electronic search (PubMed, Elsevier, Google
Scholar, Springer, Scopus, Web of Science, Wiley online library, and pubs.acs.org/journal/jacsat). All abstracts and full-text articles were examined. The most relevant articles were selected for screening and
inclusion in this review.
Results: A comprehensive analysis of the literature obtained through the above-mentioned sources
confirmed that ethno-medical uses of L. chinensis have been recorded in China, India, Vietnam, Indonesia,
and Philippines. Phytochemical investigation revealed that the major chemical constituents of litchi are
flavonoids, sterols, triterpenens, phenolics, and other bioactive compounds. Crude extracts and pure
compounds isolated from L. chinensis exhibited significant antioxidant, anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory,anti-microbial, anti-viral, anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, hepato-protective, and immunomodulatory activities. From the toxicological perspective, litchi fruit juice and extracts have been proven to be safe at a
dose 1 g/kg.
Conclusions: Phytochemical investigations indicated that phenolics were the major bioactive components of L. chinensis with potential pharmacological activities. The ethnopharmacological relevance of L.
chinensis is fully justified by the most recent findings indicating it is a useful medicinal and nutritional
agent for treating a wide range of human disorders and aliments. Further investigations are needed to
fully understand the mode of action of the active constituents and to fully exploit its preventive and
therapeutic potentials.
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