PARTE UTILIZADA= Used part: Frutos.

ACCIÓN FARMACOLÓGICA= Pharmacological action: Antidiarreico, antidisentérico.

COMPOSICIÓN QUÍMICA= Chemical composition: Isoboldine was isolated from the leaves and stems of the title species, and its identity established by various criteria.

ZONA GEOGRÁFICA= Geografical zone: América del sur.

Origin

From Panama to Argentina.

Occurrence
The species is found in the hot regions of Venezuela.

Ethnobotanical and general use

Economical utilization
The wood is valuable. The volatile oil can be used as a substitute of kerosene. It is also used to kill nits and lice.

Medical use
Twigs are used for a bath. The volatile oil is applied to treat eczema and psoriasis. The seeds are also used in medicine. Pichurim beans are used for diarrhoea, dysentery and nervous irritations. The seeds are astringent and the fruits contain volatile oil.

Chemical contents
The genus contains mainly alkaloids, terpenes may be found in the essential oil. There are several species which are very similar, even in their content and use. Some barks contain alkaloids and a febrifugal effect is ascrib ed to them.

1) TOURSARKISSIAN, Martín.-- Plantas medicinales de Argentina : sus nombres botánicos, vulgares, usos y distribución geográfica.-- Buenos Aires : Hemisferio Sur,1980, pp.65

2) FERRARI, Giorgio; FERVIDI, O.; Ferrari, M. Occurrence of isoboldine in Nectandra pichurim. Phytochemistry. 1971, vol.10, nº2, p. 465-466.

3) South American medicinal plants : botany, remedial properties, and general use / I. Roth, H. Lindorf. Berlin ; New York : Springer, c2002. -- p. 492.