Caryocar coriaceum Wittm.

Caryocar coriaceum Wittm. is an arboreal species of Caryocaraceae family. The fruit pulp is known popularly as pequi. The folk knowledge confers to the oil ‘pequi’ vast medical applicability. It can be used for treating colds and pulmonary infections, sore throats, rheumatism, external ulcers, muscle pain and skin inflammation. The fruits of pequi are known to have aphrodisiac and anti-abortive properties. The leaves are used to treat menstrual disorders. There are few phytochemical studies on C. coriaceum, however, pre-clinical tests of the fixed oil of C. coriaceum indicated gastro-protective properties and cicatrization in rodents, with a large reduction in ulcers induced by ethanol and aspirin, topical anti-inflammatory effect and efficacy reduction in skin inflammation with chronic treatment in rodents.