Andiroba
Andiroba (Carapa guianensis Aubl.) is a medium to large tree common in the Amazon environment, belonging to the Meliaceae family. It has medicinal properties and high quality wood. Carapa, andiroba, andirobinha, andiroba-branca are among its popular names.
Andiroba is a canopy tree that can reach up to 30m in height. It is a plant that occurs throughout the Amazon basin, Central America and Africa. In Brazil, it is distributed over the states of the North (Acre, Amazonas, Amapá and Pará) and Northeast (Maranhão), predominating in the Amazon phytogeographic domain. It occurs in terra firma and floodplain forests. In regions with humid tropical climate, they bloom twice a year, the first blooming from August to September and the second from January to February. Fruits ripen from June to July and from February to March.
The tree has a straight, cylindrical trunk and roots with low buttresses. The bark is thick and bitter, it comes off easily in large slabs. The leaves are composed, with 4 to 9 pairs of leaflets, accumulated apex, glabrous. The inflorescence is axillary and ramiflora. Its flowers are sessile or up to 1.5 mm. The fruit has nectar from scattered videos on the surface. The seed contains proteins, carbohydrates, fibers, minerals and lipids.
Andiroba bark can be powdered and placed on wounds, serving as a healing agent for skin conditions.
Andiroba oil is one of the most sold medicinal products in the Amazon for having anti-inflammatory medicinal properties and is indicated against fever, worms, bacteria and tumors. In several regions of the Amazon, women are responsible for extracting andiroba seed oil. The oil is extracted by breaking the seeds into very small pieces that must be heated to be pressed. This activity can yield from 8 to 12 liters for 40 kilos of seeds, which depends on the work rate used. Many communities extract the oil without the press and therefore the yield can be lower. Under mild temperature conditions it can acquire the consistency of petroleum jelly. The oil is pale yellow and bitter in color and contains chemicals such as olein, palmitin and glycerin. Products such as soaps, creams, ointments and candles can also be made with andiroba oil as the main essence. The candles made with andiroba seed bagasse scare away mosquitoes that are vectors, transmitting diseases, such as dengue (Aedes aegypti) in rural areas of the Amazon interior. Oil is still used in lamps for lighting. On the west side of the Amazon, in the state of Acre, communities produce andiroba oil only for local consumption.
Andiroba is very useful in the wood industry. Its wood is of excellent quality, being resistant to attack by insects and turus. It has a bright reddish-brown color and can be confused with mahogany wood, being called “false mahogany”. It can be used in the construction of furniture, floors and plywood and has a high export demand for the foreign market.
Andiroba is a species indicated for commercial reforestation areas in the Amazon as it is a native species in the region and presents good natural regeneration in lowland scrub areas. It is adapted to grow and regenerate under the forest canopy. It has potential for enrichment plantations as they respond favorably to shading. Andiroba planting must be carried out in areas that have already been altered by human activities such as agriculture and cattle raising or in young capoeiras.
This is a species that has good ornamental characteristics and can be used in urban landscaping. It is also indicated for planting in degraded wet floodplain areas. It has good development in the center-south region of the country, especially on the Atlantic coast.
Andiroba benefits:
Andiroba seeds are very rich in vitamins and minerals and, therefore, have several health benefits, such as:
They improve the appearance of the skin, as it has emollient and moisturizing properties, softening and moisturizing the skin and stimulating its regeneration;
Reduces hair volume, promoting hair regeneration and leaving hair more hydrated and shiny;
It helps in the treatment of skin diseases, fever and rheumatic diseases due to its anti-inflammatory and anti-rheumatic properties;
It fights parasitic diseases, such as the foot bug, due to its anti-parasitic property;
Andiroba oil can be used in repellent products and even applied to the skin to treat insect bites – Discover other natural repellent options;
It reduces muscle pain, due to its analgesic property;
Helps control cholesterol levels;
It can be used to help treat sore throat and tonsillitis, for example, as it has anti-inflammatory properties.
