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Fruits & Vegetables

Bacuri Fruit

Botanical Name: Platonia insignis
Family: Clusiaceae
Kingdom: Plantae
Order: Malpighiales
Tribe: Symphonieae
Genus: Platonia
Species: P. insignis

Synonyms:
*Aristoclesia esculenta Stuntz
*Moronobea esculenta
*Platonia esculenta (Arruda) Rickett & Stafleu

Common Names:Bacuri Fruit, Bacuri (and numerous variant spellings thereof; bacurí, bacury, bakuri, pacuri, pakuri, pakouri, packoeri, pakoeri), Maniballi, Naranjillo and Bacurizeiro.

Habitat:Bacuri Fruit is native to South America in the humid forests of Brazil, Paraguay, parts of Colombia and northeast to Guyana; specially in Amazon Rainforest.

Description:
Platonia insignis is a dry-season deciduous tree, reaching 25–40 m high. It has a pyramidal crown and copious yellow latex in the bark. The leaves are opposite, simple oblong to elliptic, 8–15 cm long, and glossy dark green, with wavy margins and a leathery texture.

The flowers are 5–7 cm long and pink in color, with five petals and numerous stamens. The fruit is round to oval and 7–14 cm long, with a thick, yellow skin. It resembles a papaya. The rind exudes a yellow latex when pressed. The sticky white pulp is fragrant, with a taste that is both sweet and sour. There are 3 to 5 seeds.

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The white-bellied parrot (Pionites leucogaster) is a pollinator of the plant, making it ornithophilous.

Edible Uses:The bacuri is grown for its fruit, which is made into various condiments and beverages.

Medicinal Uses: It contains high levels of phosphorus, iron, and vitamin C. The oily brown seeds are used as a home remedy to treat skin conditions.
The grease of the bacuri oil has a high absorption rate, due to its high level of tripalmitin (50% to 55%), which penetrates the skin quickly. The high amount of fatty palmitoleic acid (5%), compared to other oils (less than or equal to 0.5 to 1.5%), makes the bacuri oil useful as an emollient and moisturizing agent.

The application of Bacuri butter as herbal medicine is well known on the island Marajó. It is considered an effective remedy for spider- and snake bites.

It is also used in the treatment of skin problems and ear pain and is considered to be a miracle cure for rheumatism and arthritis symptoms. Bacuri butter is also known for removing skin patches and renewing scar tissue.

Bacuri butter has a brownish-golden colour and is soft as butter as is expected; the fruit can also be smashed in heated water and passed through a sieve to achieve a dense and aromatic soda.

The latex derived from the bark is used in veterinary practice in Guyana. The seeds contain 6 to 11% of oil that is mixed with sweet almond oil and used to treat eczema and herpes.

Other Uses: Its yellowish wood is frequently used as timber.

Disclaimer : The information presented herein is intended for educational purposes only. Individual results may vary, and before using any supplement, it is always advisable to consult with your own health care provider

Resources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Platonia
https://healthybenefits.info/the-health-benefits-of-bacuri-fruit/

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