About Cinnamomum subavenium Miq.
Cinnamomum subavenium Miq. is an evergreen tree native to South and East Asia, capable of reaching 20 meters (66 feet) in height. Its natural range extends from Bangladesh and Myanmar to southern China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, and Sulawesi. Within Borneo, it occurs in the Marudi and Sri Aman districts of Sarawak, the Ranau, Tambunan, and Sipitang districts of Sabah (both in Malaysian Borneo), and West Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo. This species grows in mixed dipterocarp forest and lower montane forest, up to 1500 meters above sea level. The leaves of Cinnamomum subavenium are an important spice. It is also used as a Chinese herb, and has been proposed for use as a skin whitening agent. The plant produces compounds that inhibit the activity of tyrosinase, the enzyme that catalyzes melanin production. Currently, neither the effectiveness nor the safety of this herb for skin whitening use have been established. It is under research by Hui-Min Wang and his team at Kaohsiung Medical University in Taiwan; their experiments have found that it is effective at causing zebrafish to lose their natural stripes.
