Ana Cláudia Lira-Guedes

Artisanal Extraction and Traditional Knowledge Associated with Medicinal Use of Crabwood Oil (Carapa guianensis Aublet.) in a Peri-Urban Várzea Environment in the Amazon Estuary

Várzea forests of the Amazon estuary contain species of importance to riverine communities. For example, the oil extracted from the seeds of crabwood trees is traditionally used to combat various illnesses and as such artisanal extraction processes have been maintained. The objectives of this study were to (1) describe the process involved in artisanal extraction of crabwood oil in the Fazendinha Protected Area, in the state of Amapá; (2) characterise the processes of knowledge transfer associated with the extraction and use of crabwood oil within a peri-urban riverine community; and (3) discern medicinal uses of the oil. The data were obtained using semistructured interviews with 13 community members involved in crabwood oil extraction and via direct observation. The process of oil extraction is divided into four stages: seed collection; cooking and resting of the seeds; shelling of the seeds and dough preparation; and oil collection. Oil extraction is carried out within the home for personal use, with surplus marketed within the community. More than 90% of the members of the community involved in extraction of crabwood oil highlighted the use of the oil to combat inflammation of the throat. Knowledge transfer occurs via oral transmission and through direct observation.

REGISTRO DA OCORRÊNCIA DE Hypsipyla ferrealis e Hypsipyla grandella (LEPIDOPTERA: PYRALIDAE) EM FRUTOS DE ANDIROBEIRAS ( Carapa guianensis, MELIACEAE) EM MACAPÁ – AP, BRASIL

The crabwood tree ( Carapa guianensis Aubl .) is a forest species of great importance for the Amazon people. In Brazil , it is frequently found in floodplain forests throughout the Amazon basin , but it can also be found in terra firme forest. It is a tree of multiple uses with great potential for forest management , because it presents high density and aggregate distribution . Its wood is of high commercial value , as well as the oil extracted from its seeds , which is widely targeted by the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries . However , much of the potential of the oil production can be lost by damages to the seeds , especially those caused by insects. Among them, the moths are prominent : Hypsipyla ferrealis and Hypsipyla grandella . Our objective was to identify the species of Lepidoptera occurring in fruits of crabwood trees in a floodplain forest in Macapa , State of Amapa. The study was conducted in the Fazendinha Protected Area, where all the adult and productive crabwood trees were inventoried. We collected 67 fruits directly from the canopy of five crabwood trees, using rappel techniques and/or spurs. After assessing the biometric variables of fruits and seeds, we isolated healthy seeds from damaged seeds. The latter were sent to the Laboratory of Entomology Embrapa Amapa , following they were placed in plastic trays covered with voil and daily monitored until the emergence of adult insects. All adults were mounted, deposited in an entomological box and properly identified. Two fruits collected at 35 m height were infested. We obtained 21 pupae, emerging 18 adults: Hypsipyla ferrealis (11 specimens) and Hypsipyla grandella (7 specimens).

Preparation of a Nanoemulsion with Carapa guianensis Aublet (Meliaceae) Oil by a Low-Energy/Solvent-Free Method and Evaluation of Its Preliminary Residual Larvicidal Activity

Andiroba (Carapa guianensis) seeds are the source of an oil with a wide range of biological activities and ethnopharmacological uses. However, few studies have devoted attention to innovative formulations, including nanoemulsions. The present study aimed to obtain a colloidal system with the andiroba oil using a low-energy and organic-solvent-free method. Moreover, the preliminary residual larvicidal activity of the nanoemulsion against Aedes aegypti was evaluated. Oleic and palmitic acids were the major fatty acids, in addition to the phytosterol β-sitosterol and limonoids (tetranortriterpenoids). The required hydrophile-lipophile was around 11.0 and the optimal nanoemulsion was obtained using polysorbate 85. The particle size distribution suggested the presence of small droplets (mean diameter around 150 nm) and low polydispersity index (around 0.150). The effect of temperature on particle size distribution revealed that no major droplet size increase occurred. The preliminary residual larvicidal assay suggested that the mortality increased as a function of time. The present study allowed achievement of a potential bioactive oil in water nanoemulsion that may be a promising controlled release system. Moreover, the ecofriendly approach involved in the preparation associated with the great bioactive potential of C. guianensis makes this nanoemulsion very promising for valorization of this Amazon raw material.

Saberes tradicionais em uma unidade de conservação localizada em ambiente periurbano de várzea: etnobiologia da andirobeira (Carapa guianensis Aublet)

The interactions between traditional communities with the forest and urban populations threaten the maintenance of traditional knowledge associated with the natural resources use. From this premise, this article identifies the local ecological knowledge (LEK) on andirobeiras (Carapa guianensis Aublet), the products derived from the species use, the knowledge on the andiroba oil extraction, and the preservation of this habit in the Environmental Protection Area (EPA) of Fazendinha, Amapa state, Brazil. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 84 residents and three focal groups. According to the results, 76% of the residents have LEK about the species, the oil extraction from seeds and its timber production as its main uses; 64% know the oil extraction process; and 30% declared to keep it as a habit. The youngest are familiar with the andiroba oil, but most of them did not experience the entire extraction process. The survey found a trend towards loss of LEK on andirobeiras and its oil extraction process across generations, as a consequence of urbanization and the limited use of this product due to the lack of information among residents about their rights on the use forest resources in the EPA.