Mallotus japonicus is an edible plant originally from South Korea and now distributed in East Asian countries such as Japan and China. This is a deciduous broad-leaved tree grown in warm weather regions like Jeju island in South Korea. Due to the high content of tannins in the bark and the leaves, in Traditional Korean Medicine, M. japonicus has generally been used for stomach disorders such as gastric and duodenal ulcers.

Recently, the anti-oxidant properties of extract of M. japonicus were evaluated by Japanese researchers. The leaves were found to contain high content of phenolic compounds, and some of its active compounds, such as mallotinic acid and mallotusinic acid, showed better anti-oxidant activity than EGCG of green tea.