Litsea cubeba- A Deep Academic Report on the Global Distribution, Multifaceted Uses, Academic Research, and Essential Oil Chemistry Diversity of Cubeba (Lour.) Pers

Litsea Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers., commonly known as Ma Gao, Mei Zhang, or Shan Ji Jiao, is an evergreen or deciduous, dioecious shrub or small tree belonging to the genus Litsea in the family Lauraceae [1, 2, 3, 4]. This species is rich in volatile essential oils with significant industrial and medicinal value and is considered a potential tree species for developing multifunctional industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, green protective agents, food flavorings, and low-cost bioenergy [5, 6, 7]. This report systematically organizes the global ecological distribution pattern and cross-regional ethnobotanical utilization characteristics of Litsea cubeba and delves into the active components of its essential oils and the multi-target pharmacological molecular mechanisms. Finally, it compares the regional and seasonal variations of the chemical composition of essential oils from multiple parts such as leaves, branches, and fruits, aiming to provide scientific empirical references for subsequent wild resource protection, genetic breeding, and deep processing.