Litsea Cubeba (May Chang) Essential Oil

 

Litsea Cubeba (May Chang) Essential Oil (CAS 68855-05-2, INCI name -distilled essential oil standardized to 75% citral, distilled from Litsea cubeba fruits. Baisifu supplies food-grade, BP/USP and Ph.Eur. equivalent batches from a Xi’an facility, with every drum shipped with a COA, allergen declaration and IFRA documentation.

Botanical identity and chemistry

Litsea Cubeba (May Chang) Essential Oil is the steam-distilled volatile oil obtained from the fresh fruits of Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers., a deciduous tree of the Lauraceae family cultivated in southern China for its high citral yield. The oil is dominated by citral, an isomeric pair of geranial and neral, whose fresh, sweet, lemony-spicy character makes litsea cubeba the most cost-effective natural citral source and a direct substitute for lemongrass in lemon-flavoured systems where a non-grassy citrus profile is preferred.

Distillation and standardisation

Fresh fruits are harvested at the green-to-yellow stage, lightly crushed and charged to stainless-steel stills for steam distillation at atmospheric pressure; the yield typically runs 3 to 5 percent on a fresh-fruit basis. The crude oil is decanted, dried and standardised in-house to a minimum of 75 percent citral by GC-MS against a pharmacopoeial reference standard. Baisifu does not dilute with synthetic citral or blend in lemongrass oil; every drum is single-botanical-source litsea cubeba fruit oil.

Active profile by GC-MS

The GC-MS fingerprint is anchored on the citral peak (the combined geranial and neral total), supported by a reproducible secondary cast of limonene, linalool, citronellal, 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-one and methyl heptenone. Baisifu records the full chromatogram on each COA; the geranial-to-neral ratio is a sensitive indicator of ripeness at harvest and distillation control, so any drift outside the historical window triggers a raw-material review.

Physical and sensory behaviour

The oil is a clear, mobile, pale-yellow liquid with a density near 0.86 g/cm3, a refractive index around 1.486 at 20 degrees Celsius and a boiling point in the 220 degree range. Its odour is a fresh, sweet, lemony top note with a faint spicy undertone and a cleaner, less grassy profile than lemongrass; in perfumery it blends with citrus, floral and herbaceous materials and is a cost-effective lemon top note for functional fragrance and flavour systems.

Typical applications

Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil enters the following formulation workflows:

• beverage and juice flavours
• confectionery and baked-goods flavours
• household cleaners and soaps
• functional fragrance and perfumery
• botanical insect repellent adjuvants
• aromatherapy and wellness blends

Formulation and blending notes

The oil is miscible with ethanol and fixed oils and soluble in propylene glycol at typical use levels. Citral is a sensitiser at elevated concentration, so the final leave-on level must respect the IFRA limit for the category; in flavour and rinse-off systems the margin is wider. Citral can oxidise on prolonged air exposure, so nitrogen blanketing and air-protected storage are used; the peroxide value is monitored and flagged on the COA.

COA and batch documentation

Each drum ships with a Certificate of Analysis carrying the GC-MS chromatogram, citral assay (geranial and neral split), peroxide value, specific gravity, refractive index, heavy metals (Pb, As, Cd, Hg) and pesticide residue screen. An allergen declaration, an IFRA conformity statement and a Statement of Origin complete the pack, giving QC and regulatory teams a single-shipment document set.

Regulatory and compliance

Citral is listed as FEMA GRAS 2303 and is permitted in flavour and fragrance applications under the IFRA Code of Practice, with a quantitative limit set for leave-on skin products because of sensitisation potential. Under EU CLP the concentrated oil is classified as hazardous (flammable liquid category 3, aspiration toxicant category 1, skin sensitiser category 1), so Hazmat labelling and UN 1993 shipping names apply for bulk movement.

Packaging, storage and supply

Litsea Cubeba Essential Oil is filled into 180 kg HDPE drums or 50 kg sample drums, nitrogen-blanketed and sealed under COA. Store in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight; the recommended storage temperature is 15 to 25 degrees Celsius with a shelf life of 24 months from manufacture in original sealed packaging. Baisifu ships ex-Xi’an, MOQ 50 kg for sample development and 1,000 kg and above for production orders; standard lead time 7 to 15 days depending on batch availability, with express air freight on request.

Questions buyers ask

What citral level can you guarantee?

The standardised grade is assayed by GC-MS to a minimum of 75 percent citral (combined geranial and neral) against a pharmacopoeial reference standard; the exact figure, the geranial-to-neral split and the full secondary fingerprint are printed on the COA of every drum.

How does this compare to lemongrass oil?

Litsea cubeba carries a cleaner, less grassy lemon profile than lemongrass because the secondary cast is lighter; the citral floor is comparable but the raw material cost is typically lower, which makes litsea cubeba the preferred natural citral source for cost-sensitive lemon flavour and functional fragrance systems.

How do you handle sensitisation compliance?

The IFRA conformity statement shipped with each drum states the permitted use level by product category; for leave-on skin formats the citral cap is lower than for rinse-off or flavour use, and the peroxide value is monitored to suppress hydroperoxide formation from oxidised citral.

Need specifications, COA, or a wholesale quote? Contact Baisifu — typical response within 24 hours.