Análise da biomassa e extratos tanantes de Protium Heptaphyllum (Aubl.) March, uma espécie com propriedades medicinais

Abstract

Protium heptaphyllum is a tree species with pharmacological potential, due to its medicinal properties with compounds of interest to the pharmaceutical industry, and studies on its compounds are relevant. This work aims to characterize the bark, leaf and fruit with seeds of the species, as well as obtaining tannic extracts, quantifying tannins and evaluating the chemical composition, for application in pharmacological purposes. The biomass composition of the three structures was carried out by moisture content, ash content, volatile and fixed carbon content, as well as the amount of crude protein, hemicellulose, lignin and cellulose. For each structure, the content of condensed tannins was quantified by the Stiasny method, also observing the amount of tannic extracts and that of compounds that are not tannins. Thermogravimetric analysis was performed to evaluate thermal behavior and degradation range, and infrared spectroscopy chemically evaluated the functional groups present in macromolecules. A toxicity test was carried out on microcrustaceans Mysidopsis juniae to see if the tannic extracts of the three structures have toxic activity. The bark, leaf and fruit of P. heptaphyllum showed different characteristics in their composition and they are related to the production of extracts in the species. The amount of tanning extracts, condensed tannins and non-tannins was 32.20%, 13.27%, 18.93%, respectively, in the fruit, 15.53%, 9.40% and 6.13% in the leaf and 8.20%, 5.10% and 3.10% in the bark. The Stiasny index indicated values of 60.42% on the bark, 63.62% on the leaf and 41.63% on the fruit. The three structures showed amounts of tannins close to or greater than those of other species with medicinal properties, such as some described in the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia. The biomass and tannic extracts of the three structures showed hydroxyl functional groups, C-H bond and C = O bond, similar to those identified in spectra of the species resin. The tannic extracts of the three structures showed toxicity in all concentrations, with the exception of the bark in the lowest concentration, showing that there should be no indiscriminate use of them, and this effect is also of interest for pharmacological studies, contributing to add value to yet another by-product of the species.