''Byrsonima sericea'' is a species of semi-deciduous tree native to

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, and

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Description

The tree is medium-sized and usually grows 6–18 meters tall. Flowers are tall orange plumes which develop into small, 8 mm large fruits when mature.

Ecology

Prefers wet deciduous forests, either

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growth. Usually found in fertile soils by rivers or other small moving bodies of water.

Uses

The plant is used by Brazilians, to whom it is known as ''murici'', to treat gastric injuries, due to the leaves' high content of

flavonoids Flavonoids (or bioflavonoids; from the Latin word ''flavus'', meaning yellow, their color in nature) are a class of polyphenolic secondary metabolites found in plants, and thus commonly consumed in the diets of humans. Chemically, flavonoids ...

, such as

rutin Rutin, also called rutoside, quercetin-3-O-rutinoside and sophorin, is the glycoside combining the flavonol quercetin and the disaccharide rutinose (α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→6)-β-D-glucopyranose). It is a flavonoid found in a wide variety of pla ...

isoquercitrin Isoquercetin, isoquercitrin or isotrifoliin is a flavonoid, a type of chemical compound. It is the 3-''O''-glucoside of quercetin. Isoquercitrin can be isolated from various plant species including ''Mangifera indica'' (mango) and ''Rheum nobile'' ...

, kaempferol 3-O-rutinoside, and querceti, known for their

antioxidant Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. This can lead to polymerization and other chain reactions. They are frequently added to industrial products, such as fuels and lubricant ...

properties. It is also used for its

tannins Tannins (or tannoids) are a class of astringent, polyphenolic biomolecules that bind to and precipitate proteins and various other organic compounds including amino acids and alkaloids. The term ''tannin'' (from Anglo-Norman ''tanner'', f ...

. The Byrosonima sericea additionally provides numerous health benefits to rodents. Among the floral oil benefits, also include the ability to decrease motility, including abnormal abdominal contractions and spasms, in mice. The antioxidant properties in the plant serve to provide gastroprotective and anti-diarrheal activities. The presence of these large amounts of phenolic compounds in the Byrosonima sericea such as flavonoids may possess antioxidant power as well, thus allowing benefits to the immune system as well; thus, the bioactivity of the phenolic compounds can be attributed to their ability to bond with certain metals, inhibit the which may be attributable for the antioxidant capacity. Additionally, the Byrosonima sericea can be used to treat the effects of fatty liver damage in rats. In a study done, the rats who had been treated with the extract from the plant showed less hepatic damage in their liver cells as in comparison with the negative control group rats. The study concluded that the rats treated with the floral oil from the Byrosonima sericea had additional hepatoprotective action from the enzyme secretion. (Wong, 2019)

References

*Flenning, Rosa, et al. “Chemical Characterisation of the Floral Oil of the Nance (Byrsonima Sericea): Discovering the Constituents Used in Reproduction by Oil-Collecting Bees.” Web of Science, Database, Mar. 2020, Byrsonima sericea. *Rodrigues, Patricia, et al. “Effect of Byrsonima Sericea DC. Leaf Extracts on Mice Gastrointestinal Tract.” Web of Science, 16 Oct. 2016, Byrsonima sericea. *Wang, Yong, et al. “Protective Effect of Byrsonima Sericea Extract on Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Model in Rats.” Web of Science, Sept. 2019, Byrsonima sericea. {{Taxonbar, from=Q15387211 sericea Trees of South America