Secondary metabolite credentials and biological properties of Litchi chinensis

Abstract

Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is a medium sized evergreen tree indigenous to China, Vietnam, Indonesia and Philippines. Litchi and its different parts viz., leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds, and pericarp contain significantly high amounts of phenolics and flavonoids compounds which are potential sources of natural antioxidants. Many previously published reports have demonstrated plenty of bioactivities, such as anti-oxidant, antimicrobial, hepato-protective, anti-cancer, cytotoxic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and immunomodulatory of litchi and its different parts. Litchi fruit is a good source of food nutrition and highly rich in natural anti-oxidants. It very much liked by consumers because of its delicious taste and beneficial health effects. Consumption of litchi and its products owing to their beneficial health promoting effects is rapidly increasing in humans. Litchi as an important plant of traditional medicine and its promising bioactivities has drawn much attention from researchers all over the world. In this chapter phytochemical composition and important bioactive properties of the litchi and different parts have been discussed with given emphasis to the mechanism of action of bioactive principle.