IngredientsAlseodaphne andersonii (King ex Hook.f.) Kosterm. is the currently accepted scientific name for this species within the family Lauraceae. The species was originally described as Cryptocarya andersonii King ex J. D. Hooker (published in Flora of British India, 5: 120, 1886) and carries the synonyms Alseodaphne keenanii Gamble and A. medogensis H. P. Tsui. In Chinese botanical literature, the plant is known by the vernacular name mao ye you dan (毛叶油丹).
The taxonomic standing of the species has also been the subject of nomenclatural revision at the generic level. The name Alseodaphnopsis andersonii (King ex Hook.f.) H.W.Li & J.Li has been formally lectotypified for unambiguous use, reflecting a broader molecular and morphological reclassification of the genus published in 2017. Six species — including A. andersonii, A. petiolaris, A. sichourensis, A. rugosa, A. hainanensis, and an undescribed taxon — were placed in an independent molecular clade (Alseodaphne clade II). Researchers using the 2017 circumscription may therefore refer to this plant as Alseodaphnopsis andersonii, though both names appear in the literature.
The genus Alseodaphne belongs to the family Lauraceae, and is endemic to China and Southeast Asia. The genus encompasses up to 96 species of evergreen trees to shrubs, bearing bisexual flowers, and fruit stalks that are red, green, or yellow, with black fruit.
The genus Alseodaphne belongs to the family Lauraceae, described as the fifth largest botanical family, and its members are widely distributed across various zones of South East Asia, including India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Myanmar. Within the family, Alseodaphne is part of the Persea group of the Lauraceae and appears to be polyphyletic as currently constituted, with the precise generic boundaries and species delineations based on morphological characters remaining unclear.
In its current circumscription, Alseodaphne consists of fifty or more species, of which about 90% are distributed in tropical Asia. Among the ten species present in China, A. andersonii (King ex Hook.f.) Kosterm. is listed among those distributed in Guangdong, Yunnan, and Hainan, with nine of these ten species distributed in the northern marginal zone of the tropics in southwestern China. The plant is also known to grow in the Himalayan region of India.
The fruits are green when fresh and turn purple on maturity. The fruit stalk is fleshy when fresh and is purple-red in colour. The bark is thick, longitudinally furrowed, yellowish brown and corky.
Based on documented laboratory and ethnobotanical research, Alseodaphne andersonii has been studied or used in the following forms:
Alseodaphne andersonii is not currently recognized as a standardized dietary supplement product in Western markets, nor is it listed in official pharmacopeias such as the European Pharmacopoeia, USP, or WHO monographs. Its study remains largely in the domain of preclinical natural products research.
Since ancient times, members of the genus Alseodaphne have been used to treat various diseases in both Chinese and Indian systems of medicine. The specific traditional applications documented for the broader genus — and for A. andersonii in particular — are, however, sparse in the academic record, and systematic ethnobotanical monographs are limited.
The traditional use of this plant in the treatment of inflammation is recorded primarily in ethnobotanical studies. In such contexts, local populations have been noted to utilize various parts of the plant — particularly the bark or leaves — in decoctions or poultices as remedies for inflammatory conditions, joint pain, or swelling.
Alseodaphne andersonii (King ex Hook.f.) Kosterm. (Lauraceae) is a plant growing in the Himalayan region of India and has been selected by researchers for pharmacological investigation partly on the basis of its traditional use within the local medical systems of that region. The plant's presence in the Himalayan forest belt places it within the broad ethnomedicinal orbit of Ayurvedic and folk medicine traditions of northeastern and Himalayan India. The seed oil has been evaluated for its potential as a lesser-known nutritional and industrial oilseed resource from northeast India.
No formal ethnopharmacological records specific to A. andersonii have been located in indexed databases (PubMed/PMC) or official monographs (WHO, ESCOP, Commission E) detailing the precise period, preparation method, dosage, or specific disease indication used in traditional medicine. The available scientific literature references traditional use at the genus level, and individual species-level ethnobotanical detail for A. andersonii is notably limited. There had not been much information about the ethnomedicinal value of this genus, but the latest reports show that the genus has potent biological activities.
The most chemically distinctive class of compounds isolated specifically from Alseodaphne andersonii are C17 γ-lactones. Five new compounds, including four C17 gamma-lactones — dihydroisoobtusilactone (1), dihydroobtusilactone (2), 3-epilitsenolide D2 (3), and 3-epilitsenolide D1 (4) — and one furanone, alseodafuranone (5), were isolated from the root and stem of Alseodaphne andersonii. Their structures were elucidated mainly by spectral analysis (NMR and MS) and partially by chemical correlation. This work was published in the Journal of Natural Products in 2001 by researchers at the School of Pharmacy, National Taiwan University.
Two additional compound derivatives were also obtained by acetylation and hydrogenation of 3-epilitsenolide D2. The compound alseodafuranone, a novel furanone, was named directly after the plant species, indicating it was first characterized from this source.
Previous phytochemical investigations of Alseodaphne have resulted in the isolation of alkaloids (aporphines, bisbenzyl-isoquinolines, and morphinandienones), lactones, neolignans, and phenanthrenes. Species including A. andersonii, A. semecarpifolia, A. perakensis, A. hainensis, A. archboldiana, A. corneri, A. pendulifolia, and A. peduncularis have been studied chemically, and these plants are reported to contain aporphines, lactones, furanones, phenanthrenes, bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloids, and morphinandienones.
Several species of Alseodaphne are known for their high wood quality, and others, such as A. andersonii (King ex Hook.f.) Kosterm., A. perakensis (Gamble) Kosterm., A. semecarpifolia Nees, and A. corneri Kosterm., have been reported to contain potentially useful alkaloids with antiplasmodial and antioxidant activities.
Alseodaphne andersonii showed a significant amount of tocols (vitamin E-related compounds) in a comparative screening of lesser-known tree-borne oilseeds. Specifically, Alseodaphne andersonii was found to be rich in unsaponifiable content, which makes it potentially suitable as a dietary supplement component. GC analysis of methyl ester-extracted fatty acids across the screened species indicated dominant fractions of oleic acid in six species, linoleic acid in three species, lauric acid in three species, and palmitic acid in two species, with the majority showing higher amounts of unsaturated fatty acid content. The unsaponifiable matter rich in tocols observed in A. andersonii seeds suggests potential nutritional relevance, though no clinical studies have been conducted on this fraction.
Important caveat: All published pharmacological studies identified for A. andersonii are preclinical in nature — conducted in vitro (cell/culture-based) or in vivo using animal models (primarily rodents). No human clinical trials or systematic reviews have been published for this species. Evidence strength is therefore uniformly preliminary and cannot be extrapolated to therapeutic efficacy in humans.
The leaf extracts were screened for anti-inflammatory activity and effect on the central nervous system in animal models using the acute carrageenan paw oedema method and an actophotometer respectively. Both the methanol and aqueous extracts significantly (P<0.05) suppressed the paw oedema induced by carrageenan in rats at the dose level of 500 mg/kg.
Methanol and aqueous extracts of A. andersonii produced a diminishing effect in inflammation in rat hind paw when challenged with carrageenan. The results indicated that extracts exhibited a dose-dependent effect on inflammation — specifically, 50% and 65.62% inhibition at doses of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg respectively for the methanol extract, and 59.37% and 70.3% inhibition at doses of 250 mg/kg and 500 mg/kg respectively in the aqueous extract. The percentage inhibition observed in aqueous extract-treated groups was greater than that observed with methanol extract-treated groups.
Evidence strength: Preliminary; rodent model only; single study reported; no human data. The carrageenan paw oedema test is a standard but non-specific screening tool for anti-inflammatory activity.
The CNS stimulant effect of the extract at all dose levels was found to be much higher when compared to the control and the standard caffeine (a known stimulant). Differences between means were assessed by one-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett's test. The stimulant effect was statistically significant (p<0.0001 at all doses tested) and was found to be dose-dependent.
The authors noted that more studies are required to achieve a proper understanding of the role of Alseodaphne andersonii extract and to find out more specific biochemical and pharmacological details.
Evidence strength: Very preliminary; single animal study using actophotometric measurement only; no identification of the specific constituents responsible for CNS stimulation; no human data.
The leaves of A. andersonii, extracted with petroleum ether, chloroform, acetone, and methanol, were screened for antidermatophytic activity against various pathogenic fungi — namely, Epidermophyton floccosum var. nigricans, Microsporum canis, Microsporum gypseum, Trichophyton rubrum, Sporothrix schenckii, and Aspergillus fumigatus. The acetone extract showed moderate antidermatophytic activity against the tested organisms as reflected by the zone of inhibition, while the methanolic extract showed significant control on the growth of Sporothrix schenckii, Trichophyton rubrum, and Epidermophyton floccosum var. nigricans.
The leaf extracts showed antidermatophytic activity against pathogenic fungi, and the formulation was suggested to potentially help cure fungal skin infections like ringworms and athlete's foot.
Evidence strength: Preliminary in vitro screening; no controlled animal efficacy studies for antifungal endpoints; no human data. The in vitro inhibition zones observed do not directly predict clinical efficacy.
The leaf part of Alseodaphne andersonii (Lauraceae), described as a large indigenous tree, has shown antimicrobial potential against various pathogenic bacterial strains (Parcha et al., 2007). This finding was reported in a peer-reviewed study published in Pharmaceutical Biology (Volume 45, Issue 1, pp. 60–63, 2007, DOI: 10.1080/13880200601028313). Full details of which bacterial strains were tested and the magnitude of inhibitory effects are cited in the review literature but the full-text data are behind a subscription paywall.
Evidence strength: Preliminary in vitro data; single study; no follow-up trials; no human data.
Preliminary examination of the aqueous extract of Alseodaphne andersonii in a mouse study demonstrated a significant increase in antibody concentration and delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response, which is indicative of immunostimulant potential. This study was published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences (Vol. 2, pp. 177–180, 2010). The study is cited as "Immunomodulatory activities of aqueous extract of Alseodaphne andersonii in mice," published in Int. J. Med. Sci., 2: 177–80, 2010.
Evidence strength: Very preliminary; murine model only; single study; no mechanistic elucidation of which specific compound(s) are responsible; no human data.
Species of Alseodaphne, including A. andersonii, have been reported to contain potentially useful alkaloids with antiplasmodial and antioxidant activities. However, species-specific antiplasmodial data for A. andersonii itself could not be verified from the indexed sources retrieved; this attribution is made at the genus level in review articles rather than in primary studies for this specific species.
Evidence strength: Reported at genus level only in review literature; primary antiplasmodial data specifically for A. andersonii not verified in the sources available.
Based on the preclinical literature, the following body systems and health areas have been investigated in laboratory or animal research:
The following dosages appear specifically in the preclinical literature and are reproduced exactly as reported in those sources. They pertain to animal experiments and cannot be used to infer human dosing.
No human dosing data, standardized supplement doses, or clinically established dosage regimens exist for Alseodaphne andersonii in any indexed source reviewed.
Most species of the genus Alseodaphne are unexplored, both pharmacologically and phytochemically. Consequently, formal toxicology data, safety profiles, and interaction studies for Alseodaphne andersonii are absent from the available peer-reviewed literature. The following factual observations from the scientific record are relevant:
In order to distinguish Alseodaphne species and reconstruct their phylogenetic relationships, a molecular approach is necessary. The ongoing taxonomic revision of the genus — including the partial transfer of species such as A. andersonii into the proposed genus Alseodaphnopsis — introduces nomenclatural uncertainty that affects the interpretation of historical phytochemical literature. Studies conducted under the name Alseodaphne andersonii and those potentially reassigning the species to Alseodaphnopsis andersonii may describe the same plant; researchers should verify collection voucher data when interpreting results.
There had not been much information about the ethnomedicinal value of this genus, but the latest reports show that the genus has potent biological activities. The isolated constituents contain almost all classes of compounds, suggesting that the genus might become useful as a source of pharmacologically active agents. Nonetheless, the body of evidence for A. andersonii specifically remains highly preliminary, consisting of a small number of small-scale preclinical studies, mostly from a single research group in India in the 2006–2010 period, and one landmark phytochemical study from Taiwan (Lee et al., 2001). No peer-reviewed, adequately powered, replicated animal studies or human clinical trials have been published for this plant.
Health conditions that Alseodaphne andersonii may help support.
Body systems that Alseodaphne andersonii may help support.
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