Description

Toona sinensis (A. Juss) Roem (2n = 2x = 56), also known as Chinese mahogany or Xiang Chun (in Chinese), is an edible woody plant. The species belongs to the Meliaceae family nd is widely distributed across central China and southeastern Asia. T. sinensis has also been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine. It is known as an herbal medicine with anti-inflammatory, astringent and carminative effects for the treatment of urinary tract infections, enteritis, dysentery, leukorrheal diseases and itchy skin. Recently, extracts of T. sinensis leaves and bark that primarily include terpenoids, phenylpropanoids and flavonoids, have been identified to be biologically active, with anti-tumor, hypoglycemic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, antiviral and antibacterial effects.