ABSTRACT
South American biodiversity is a very rich source of plant species, native and exotic, with great therapeutic properties; however, little is known about their pharmaceutical properties. Copaifera is a genus of species belonging to the Fabaceae family. With the Brazilian popular name of “copaíba”, some of the most abundant species in these regions are Copaifera officinalis L., C. reticulata Ducke, C. multijuga Hayne, C. confertiflora Bth, C. langsdorffii Desf., C. coriacea Mart. and C. Cearenses Huber ex Ducke. The chemical substances, usually contained in the oil-resin extracted from the trunk, are used both in the pharmaceutical industry and in the cosmetic industry, mainly because of their emollient, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. The main sesquiterpenes are β-caryophyllene (neurodegeneration) with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antifungal and anti-edema action, and β-bisabolene, with analgesic and anti-inflammatory action. The most common diterpenes are hardwickic acid, colavenol, copaiferic acid, copalic acid, and others. The present study aims to gather the most up-to-date information on the chemical components of copaiba oil-resin and its pharmacological substances, as well as its applications in medicine.
