Chemistry

Abstract

The family is ellagic acid-rich as in the closely related Ixonanthaceae. Bergenin has been isolated from Endopleura uchi (Da Silva et al. 2009). Humiria balsamifera produces a balsam-type phenolic resin in the trunk that is similar to the resin of the leguminous genus Myroxylon (Langenheim 2003). Silva et al. (2004) studied the chemistry of stem and leaves of Humiria balsamifera (Aubl.) St. Hil. and found a wide array of terpenes and other chemicals: the triterpenes arjunolic acid, 2β,3α-dihydroxy-D:A-friedooleanane, friedelin, α and β-amyrins and lupeol; the flavonol quercetin; bergenin; the diterpene phytol; two phytosteroids (sitosterol and stigmasterol); three sesquiterpenoids (caryophyllene oxide, humulene epoxide II and trans-isolongifolenone; and four aliphatic esters (methyl tetra-, hexa-, octadecanoate and ethyltetradecanoate). The fruit of Endopleura uchi (Huber) Cuatr. has been shown to have a high oleic acid fat content (Pinto 1956; Marx et al. 2002). Marx et al. (2002) showed that the fruit also contains phytosterols, a notable amount of vitamin C, vitamin E, and minerals. They identified 42 volatile compounds including 3,3-dimethyl-s-butanol, eugenol and methyl, and ethyl esters of fatty acids. Costa Abreu (2013) analyzed the bark of Endopleura uchi, and the dichloromethane fractions yielded the pentacyclic terpenes pseudotaraxasterol, lupeol, a-amyrin, botulin, and methyl 2β,3β-dihydroxy-urs-12-en-28-oate, as well as a mixture of the steroids sitosterol and stigmasterol.