Lindera aggregata
StatusLC
Status systemIUCN3.1
GenusLindera
Speciesaggregata
Authority(Sims) Kosterm.
Subdivision ranksVarieties
Subdivision
  • Lindera aggregata var. aggregata
  • Lindera aggregata var. playfairii (Hemsl.) H.P.Tsui
Synonyms
  • Cinnamomum aggregatum (Sims) Pilip.
  • Laurus aggregata Sims

synonyms of var. aggregata:

  • Benzoin sinense (Blume) Kuntze
  • Benzoin strychnifolium (Siebold & Zucc. ex Blume) Kuntze
  • Daphnidium myrrha Siebold & Zucc.
  • Daphnidium sinense Blume
  • Daphnidium strychnifolium Siebold & Zucc. ex Blume
  • Lindera eberhardtii Lecomte
  • Lindera sinensis (Blume) Hemsl.
  • Lindera strychnifolia (Siebold & Zucc. ex Blume) Fern.-Vill.
  • Litsea trinervia Bürger ex Blume

synonyms of var. playfairii:

  • Lindera aggregata f. playfairii (Hemsl.) J.C.Liao
  • Lindera playfairii (Hemsl.) C.K.Allen
  • Litsea playfairii Hemsl.
  • Neolitsea playfairii (Hemsl.) Chun

Lindera aggregata is a species of flowering plant in the family Lauraceae. It is a tree native to southern China, Hainan, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines.[1]

Other names

Engl.: evergreen lindera, Japanese evergreen spicebush.
TCM: trad. 烏藥, simpl. 乌药 or 乌乐, pinyin: wūyào.

Varieties

Two varieties are accepted:[1]

  • Lindera aggregata var. aggregata – southern China, Hainan, Taiwan, Vietnam, and the Philippines[2]
  • Lindera aggregata var. playfairii (Hemsl.) H.P.Tsui – southeastern China (Guangxi and Guangdong), Hainan, and northern Vietnam[3]

Use

乌药, radix lindera, is present in the Compendium of Materia Medica and Kampo herb list. It is an ingredient in the traditional Chinese medicine pill Chaihu Shugan Wan against "stagnation of liver qi, distension of chest and hypochondria, indigestion, and acid eructation", and in the Lindera Combination Teapills (simpl. 天台乌药丸, trad. 天臺烏藥丸, pinyin : tiāntái wūyào wán), a Chinese classic herbal formula.

Biochemistry

An A type proanthocyanidin trimer (epicatechin-(4β→8,2β→O→7)-entcatechin-(4β-8)-catechin) can be found in Lindera aggregata.[4] In a study this compound showed cytoprotective action against ethanol-induced gastric injury in Sprague-Dawley rats.[5]

Four alkaloids (boldine, norboldine, reticuline and linderegatine) can also be found in L. aggregata.[6]

References

  1. ^ "Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm.". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  2. ^ "Lindera aggregata var. aggregata". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  3. ^ "Lindera aggregata var. playfairii (Hemsl.) H.P.Tsui". Plants of the World Online. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Retrieved 8 May 2026.
  4. ^ Feng, Z. C.; Shi, S. Q.; Tao, W. Z.; Hattori, M. (2003). "One New A-type Proanthocyanidin Trimer from Lindera aggregata (Sims) Kosterm.". Chinese Chemical Letters. 14 (10): 1033–1036. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07.
  5. ^ Zhu, M.; Luk, C. T.; Lew, T. H. (1998). "Cytoprotective Effect of Lindera aggregata Roots Against Ethanol-Induced Acute Gastric Injury". Pharmaceutical Biology. 36 (3): 222–226. doi:10.1076/phbi.36.3.222.6349
  6. ^ Han, Z.; Zheng, Y.; Chen, N.; Luan, L.; Zhou, C.; Gan, L.; Wu, Y. (2008). "Simultaneous determination of four alkaloids in Lindera aggregata by ultra-high-pressure liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry". Journal of Chromatography A. 1212 (1–2): 76–81. doi:10.1016/j.chroma.2008.10.017. PMID 18951552