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6. J. L. Hartwell,Lloydia, 33 , 288 (1970).
BALSAM COPAIBA
Source:Copaifera officinalis(Jacq.) L. or
other South AmericanCopaiferaspecies
(Family Leguminosae or Fabaceae).
Common/vernacular names: Copaiba, copai-
va, and Jesuit’s balsam.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION
Copaiba balsam is an oleoresin that accu-
mulates in cavities within the tree trunk of
C.officinalisand is tapped by drilling holes
into the wood of the trunk; it is not a true
balsam (see glossary). C. officinalis is a
tree with a height of up to 18 m found in
tropical South America (particularly Brazil,
Colombia, and Venezuela).
Copaiba oil is obtained by direct vacuum
distillation of the oleoresin containing
large amounts of the volatile oil (60–90%)
(ARCTANDER).
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
Copaiba balsam contains 30–90% volatile oil;
the rest being resins and acids (ARCTANDER;
YOUNGKEN).^1 Compounds reported in the
oleoresin include caryophyllene (major com-
ponent of the volatile oil), copaene,b-bis-
abolene, g-humulene, caryophyllene oxide,
a-ylangene,a-multijugenol;2,3and terpenic
acids such as copalic, copaiferic, copaiferolic,
Hardwick, 7-hydroxy-Hardwick, enantioa-
gathic, and eperu-8(20)-en-15,18-dioic acids,
among others.3–6
PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL
ACTIVITIES
The oil has shownin vitroantibacterial acti-
vity,1,7and the oleoresin from BrazilianCo-
paiferaspecies has shown anti-inflammatory
activity following oral administration in rats.^8
TOXICOLOGY
Available data indicate that the oleoresin is
relatively nontoxic;1,9the oral LD 50 in rats is
3.79 mL/kg. At lower dosages in rats (1.92 and
2.86 mL/kg), subacute toxicity was seen in the
form of significant reductions in body weight
and food and water intake, in addition to
diarrhea, gastric irritation, sialorrhea, and
symptoms of CNS depression; however, at
30 days these symptoms were no longer sig-
nificant relative controls.^8 Large doses are
reported to cause vomiting and diarrhea as
well as measles-like rash (MARTINDALE;SAX).
USES
Medicinal, Pharmaceutical, and Cosmetic.
The oleoresin and oil have occasionally been
used in pharmaceutical preparations (diure-
tics, cough medicines, etc.). Both copaiba
balsam and oil are widely used in cosmetic
preparations (soaps, bubble baths, detergents,
creams, lotions, and perfumes), the former
primarily as a fixative and the latter as a
fragrance component. Maximum use level
of the oil or oleoresin in perfumes is
0.8%.1,9,10
Food. Occasionally used as a flavoring
component in most major categories of foods,
Balsam copaiba 67
