Litsea, particularly Litsea cubeba (also known as May Chang), has been traditionally used in Asian herbal medicine for various ailments, including infectious diseases. However, its use for fungal infections is supported by some scientific evidence, primarily from in vitro studies. Essential oils extracted from Litsea cubeba have demonstrated antifungal activity against several pathogenic fungi, such as Candida albicans, Aspergillus fumigatus, and Trichophyton rubrum. These effects are attributed to the presence of bioactive compounds like citral, limonene, and linalool, which can disrupt fungal cell membranes and inhibit fungal growth.

Nevertheless, most of the evidence comes from laboratory experiments rather than human clinical trials. The concentrations effective in vitro may not directly translate to safe or efficacious topical or systemic use in humans. There is a lack of large-scale, rigorously designed clinical studies evaluating Litsea's efficacy and safety for treating fungal infections in humans. As such, while there is some scientific rationale and preliminary laboratory data supporting its antifungal properties, clinical validation remains limited. Accordingly, the evidence supporting Litsea’s use for fungal infections is best rated as modest (2 out of 5), indicating early scientific promise without robust clinical endorsement.