Chemical investigation and anatomical aspects of wood residues from Hymenaea courbaril L, Platymiscium ulei Harms, Hymenolobium petraeum Ducke

In recent years, the interest in the propagation of native forest species has intensified with the aim of recovering degraded areas and the restoration of the landscape. As such, some species of Fabaceae are considered promising woody species for planting in reforestation programs and agroforestry systems. In the present paper, the authors complement the need for studies related to secondary metabolites of the woody species Hymenaea courbaril L. Platymiscium ulei Harms and Hymenolobium petraeum Ducke. Thus, the phytochemical study of H. courbaril led to the isolation and identification of diterpenes eperuic acid (1) and methyl eperuate (2); triterpenes oleanolic acid (3) and hederagenin (8); flavonoides quercetin (4), fisetinediol (5), liquiritigenin (6) and 3-methoxy-5,7,3\u27,5\u27-tetrahydroxyflavanonol (7). P. ulei gave pterocarpane homopterocarpin (9) and coumarin scoparone (10); H. petraeum gave isoflavan sativan (11), in addition to the amino acid tyrosine (12). Flavonoids were the predominant constituents in the three species of Fabaceae; however, the presence of isoflavonoids in Platymiscium ulei and Hymenolobium petraeum is probably associated with the resistance of this high density wood to pathogenic fungi

Classical Food Quality Attributes and the Metabolic Profile of Cambuci, a Native Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Fruit

The cambuci is a native Brazilian fruit from the Atlantic Forest biome. A soft and astringent pulp, a green color, and a sweet aroma are its main characteristics. Classical food quality attributes (fresh fruit mass, fruit height, diameters, total soluble solid, titratable acidity, and ratio) and the metabolic profile from ten accessions from three different locations were analyzed herein by analytical methods (refractometry and neutralization titration) and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Concerning sugar content, sucrose was the predominant compound, with glucose and fructose alternating in second, depending on the accession. Citric acid was the most relevant acid, followed by shikimic and quinic acids in quite variable amounts. These three main acids vary in amounts for each accession. Ascorbic acid content emerges as an important quality attribute and makes this fruit nutritionally attractive, due to values comparable to those contained in citric fruits. The main amino acids identified in cambuci were glutamic acid individually or in comprising the tripeptide glutathione (glutamic acid, cysteine, glycine). The quality diversity of the evaluated accessions suggests the potentiality of cambuci use in future breeding programs