Artisanal extraction and traditional knowledge associated with medicinal use of Crabwood Oil (Carapa guianensis Aublet.) in a peri-urban Várzea environment in the Amazon Estuary.

Varzea forests of the Amazon estuary contain species of importance to riverine communities. For example, the oil extracted from the seeds of crabwood trees is traditionally used to combat various illnesses and as such artisanal extraction processes have been maintained. The objectives of this study were to (1) describe the process involved in artisanal extraction of crabwood oil in the Fazendinha ProtectedArea, in the state ofAmap´a; (2) characterise the processes of knowledge transfer associated with the extraction and use of crabwood oil within a peri-urban riverine community; and (3) discern medicinal uses of the oil.The data were obtained using semistructured interviews with 13 community members involved in crabwood oil extraction and via direct observation.The process of oil extraction is divided into four stages: seed collection; cooking and resting of the seeds; shelling of the seeds and dough preparation; and oil collection. Oil extraction is carried out within the home for personal use, with surplus marketed within the community. More than 90% of the members of the community involved in extraction of crabwood oil highlighted the use of the oil to combat inflammation of the throat. Knowledge transfer occurs via oral transmission and through direct observation.

Potencial de uso da erva medicinal Cybopogon citratus no controle de fitopatógenos do feijoeiro e plantas daninhas em áreas irrigadas.

Para avaliar a erva medicinal Cymbopogon citratus (capim-limao) no controle de fitopatogenos e de plantas daninhas em feijoeiro, foram instalados experimentos utilizando diferentes subprodutos da planta. O oleo essencial de C. citratus a 10% obtido de folhas inibiu totalmente o crescimento micelial de Fusarium solani f. sp phaseoli, Sclerotinia sclerotiorum e Rhizoctonia solani, ao passo que Sclerotium rolfsii apresentou-se menos sensivel, apesar da substancia reduzir significativamente o diametro medio das colonias do fungo. Tambem o oleo de C. citratus a 10% promoveu inibicao total da germinacao de sementes de Digitaria horizontalis (capim-colchao), Sorghum halepense (capim-massambara), Bidens pilosa (picao-preto), Euphorbia heterophylla (amendoim-bravo, leiteiro) e Raphanus raphanistrum (nabica). O oleo inibiu parcialmente a germinacao de Echinochloa crusgalli (capim-arroz) e nao afetou a germinacao de Portulaca oleracea (beldroega). Em casa de vegetacao, o oleo de folhas a 10% afetou a emergencia do feijoeiro, enquanto o po (folha seca moida) incrementou a emergencia para 97% contra 75% e 88% em solos infestados com R. solani e F. solani, respectivamente. Em condicoes de campo, observou-se reducao da incidencia de F. solani e R. solani nas parcelas tratadas com suspensao aquosa de oleo de C. citratus a 1% e 5% no sulco de plantio e em tratamento de sementes a 0,5%. A analise da producao nao evidenciou diferencas significativas entre os tratamentos. Para verificar o efeito da combinacao do uso de C. citratus e da reducao de doses dos herbicidas, foram ultilizados os herbicidas pos-emergentes fomesafen e fenoxaprop-etil nas doses usadas pelo produtor (0,619 l ia/ha de cada produto) e a 80% destas doses. As especies de plantas daninhas predominantes foram: P. oleracea, Eleusine indica (capim-pe-de-galinha) e Amaranthus deflexus (caruru).