Hymenaea courbaril (Koubari) : medicinal properties in alcoholic extraction

Hymenaea courbaril (Koubari, Courbaril) — family Caesalpiniacées.

Scientific synonyms : Hymenaea animifera Stokes, Hcandolleana Kunth, H multiflora Kleihoonte, H resinifera Salisb., H retusa Hayne.

Recognised external sources linked to this monograph: TRAMIL.

This database documents alcoholic (ethanol) extractions of active substances. Our monograph currently lists 10 indications in alcoholic extraction for this species. The Lapo v2 catalogue records 69 scientific references for this species (full detail in the application).

Important — scientific references on this public page: only a short excerpt of each cited source is shown (selected abstract sentences), kept in the original language of the publication (most often English), without translation. These excerpts are not the full article text and are not a complete bibliography. The full reference records and complete monographic detail are available in the Lapo v2 application (free 30-day trial).

1. 1

   Bacterial infection: Staphylococcus aureus

   Plant part used: Fruit peel.

   Scientific references (short excerpts)

   Short excerpts only (not the full article). Full reference records are in the Lapo v2 application.

   • According to Scaramusa SA (2022)

     Excerpt Combining the 70% ethanol extracts from peels & seeds reduced their inhibitory concentration by about 4 to 32 times against Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, P. In this work, the in vitro antioxidant & antimicrobial potential of hydroalcoholic extracts from the peel &seeds of jatobá fruit & the synergistic effect of their combination against pathogenic bacteria were evaluated.

   • According to Narvaez Correa M (2020)

     Excerpt The assessment of the antimicrobial activity of Hymenaea courbaril on different microorganisms was realized with four bacteria, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus subtilis, & Pseudomonas aeruginosa, two yeasts Candida albicans & Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and finally two filamentous fungi Aspergillus niger. (jatobá) em camundongos tratados com acetaminophen, Rev Cubana de Plantas Med, 2020, 25: e752-Abstract: Hymenaea courbaril L.

   • According to LOZANO CM (2021)

     Excerpt The objective of this study was to evaluate the antimicrobial activity of crude ethanolic extracts of 48 medicinal plants collected at regional or municipal markets in Dominican Republic for the treatment of several types of infections associated diseases. Conclusion: Several ethanolic crude extracts derived from plants used in traditional medicine in the Dominican Republic possess antimicrobial activity against a variety of the tested micro-organisms.

   • According to Cruz JER (2023)

     Excerpt In this context, the present study aimed to determine the total phenolic content, antioxidant capacity, & antimicrobial & anti-biofilm potential of nine extracts of Hymenaea courbaril (Fabaceae), popularly known as Jatobá. Therefore, these results showed the potential use of HC as an antioxidant & point to its use in antimicrobial therapy with an anti-biofilm effect.

   • According to De Brito M.S (2016)

     Excerpt Partial Purification of Trypsin/Papain Inhibitors from Hymenea courbaril L. Seeds & Antibacterial Effect of Protein Fractions Materials & Methods.

2. 2

   Cancer: adjuvant treatment for melanoma

   Plant part used: Seed.

   Scientific references (short excerpts)

   Short excerpts only (not the full article). Full reference records are in the Lapo v2 application.

   • According to Lisboa EM de J (2021)

     Excerpt Male Swiss mice (n=6) were subcutaneously inoculated with 106 tumor cells & intragastrically administered ethanol (2 mg·mL-1, 5 mg·mL-1, or 10 mg·mL-1) or aqueous extracts of HC seed or bark for 90 days. Tumor development did not significantly differ between the groups studied; however, animals treated with the aqueous extract of the seed (2.205 mg·mL-1) had a reduction in tumor size compared to those treated with the aqueous extract of the bark (1.7 mg·mL-1).

   • According to Abdel-Kader M (2002)

     Excerpt Bioactivity-directed fractionation of a methanol extract of Hymenaea courbaril afforded the three new diterpenoids (13R)-13-hydroxy-1(10),14-ent-halimadien-18-oic acid (1), (2S,13R)-2,13-dihydroxy-1(10),14-ent-halimadien-18-oic acid (2), & (13R)-2-oxo-13-hydroxy-1(10),14-ent-halimadien-18-oic acid (3). Compound 1 exhibited weak cytotoxicity toward the 1138 mutant yeast strain & the A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line.

   • According to Delgado C (2021)

     Excerpt Hymenaea courbaril L. has been used in traditional medicine in South America to treat several diseases, including prostate cancer.

   • According to Carneiro-Lobo LA (2025)

     Excerpt courbaril) is a South American native species frequently used to treat various symptoms & illnesses, including anemia, fatigue, inflammation, pain, respiratory conditions, kidney & prostate disorders, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, rheumatism, gastric & hepatic dysfunctions, & skin conditions. Hymenaea courbaril L.

   • According to SPERA KD (2010)

     Excerpt Hymenaea courbaril has been used to treat different diseases, although its properties are yet to be scientifically validated. The results allowed us to also infer that the hydroethanolic extract from seeds shows cytotoxic activity against B16F10 melanoma cells line & it has dose-&-time-dependency.

3. 3

   Osteoarthritis, arthritis, rheumatism, oedema

   Plant part used: stem bark.

   Scientific references (short excerpts)

   Short excerpts only (not the full article). Full reference records are in the Lapo v2 application.

   • According to Bezerra GP (2013)

     Excerpt Aim of the study: In order to give a scientific basis to support the traditional use of HC this study was designed to evaluate antioxidant, myorelaxant & anti-inflammatory properties of the ethanol extract from stem bark & its fractions. The following activities were investigated: antioxidant by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay, myorelaxant on rat tracheal smooth muscle, & anti-inflammatory using ovalbumin-induced leukocytosis & airway hyperresponsiveness in rats.

   • According to Jayaprakasam B (2007)

     Excerpt Stinking toe (Hymenaea courbaril), also called Jatobá & Kerosene tree, is a medicinal plant commonly found in the central & South American countries. Compounds 1–5 and 7 were assayed for anti-inflammatory activity using cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1) & -2 (COX-2) enzymes.

   • According to Massae Hata M (2017)

     Excerpt Massae Hata M et al, Anti-inflammatory effects of Hymenaea courbaril essential oil compounds on pterygium fibroblasts, Investigative Ophthalmol & Visual Sci, 2017, 58(8): The search for new drugs has found in plants an important source of biologically active compounds. The Hymenaea courbaril is a tree that grows in South America forests & it’s essential oil has proved anti-inflammatory effects.

   • According to Vigilato-Rodriguez MA (2021)

     Excerpt Jatobá resin is a product of Hymenaea genus trees with antimicrobial & anti-inflammatory activities, interesting properties for films applied in several areas.

   • According to Carneiro-Lobo LA (2025)

     Excerpt courbaril) is a South American native species frequently used to treat various symptoms & illnesses, including anemia, fatigue, inflammation, pain, respiratory conditions, kidney & prostate disorders, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, rheumatism, gastric & hepatic dysfunctions, & skin conditions. Hymenaea courbaril L.

Further indications (including other extraction modes where applicable), dosages, precautions for use, and the <strong>full scientific references</strong> (complete records, not only the short excerpts above) are available in the complete monographic record in the Lapo v2 application.