Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson ex F.A.Zorn.) Fosberg, Moraceae, is a native tree of Southeast Asia introduced to South America at the beginning of the 19th century. It has been used by several indigenous communities. This paper aims to preserve the traditional knowledge at risk of loss and to validate some of the applications found. Current ancestral practices were documented, by interviews in a scarcely contacted Amazonic Kichwa community from the Bobonaza River (Ecuador). The findings were compared with bibliographic citations from other Amazonian cultures. A bioinformatics literature survey of articles that report experiments on the chemical constituents was executed. The major findings are that some uses given in this population may be considered surprising, but the molecular profile of this species justifies its local value. It has cycloartenol (terpenoid), artoindonesianin F (stilbenoid), and different groups of flavonoids (chalcones, prenylflavones, oxepinoflavones, pyrano-flavones, xanthones). This information can prove effective in a search for novel drugs, focused to merge potential innovative uses of the plant.
Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial, Quito, EcuadorUniversidad Tecnológica EquinoccialEcuadorQuito, EcuadorCentro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial, Quito, Ecuador
José Blanco-Salas ** Corresponding author. E-mail:blanco_salas@unex.es (J. Blanco-Salas).
Facultad de Ciencias, Área de Botánica, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, SpainUniversidad de ExtremaduraSpainBadajoz, SpainFacultad de Ciencias, Área de Botánica, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
Carlos E. Cerón-Martínez
Herbario Alfredo Paredes, Universidad Central de Ecuador, Quito, EcuadorUniversidad Central de EcuadorEcuadorQuito, EcuadorHerbario Alfredo Paredes, Universidad Central de Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
Trinidad Ruiz-Téllez
Facultad de Ciencias, Área de Botánica, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, SpainUniversidad de ExtremaduraSpainBadajoz, SpainFacultad de Ciencias, Área de Botánica, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
CXLQ (PhD student) contributed in collecting plant sample, getting into the community by canoe, doing the fieldwork, presenting the first analysis of the data and contributing to draft the paper. CCM contributed in plant identification, mounting herbarium specimens and fieldwork design. JBS did the bibliographic survey and synthesis of the retrieved information. TRT designed the study, supervised the laboratory work and contributed to critical reading of the manuscript. All the authors have read the final manuscript and approved the submission.
Conflicts of interest
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.
SCIMAGO INSTITUTIONS RANKINGS
Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial, Quito, EcuadorUniversidad Tecnológica EquinoccialEcuadorQuito, EcuadorCentro de Investigación Biomédica, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud Eugenio Espejo, Universidad Tecnológica Equinoccial, Quito, Ecuador
Facultad de Ciencias, Área de Botánica, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, SpainUniversidad de ExtremaduraSpainBadajoz, SpainFacultad de Ciencias, Área de Botánica, Universidad de Extremadura, Badajoz, Spain
Herbario Alfredo Paredes, Universidad Central de Ecuador, Quito, EcuadorUniversidad Central de EcuadorEcuadorQuito, EcuadorHerbario Alfredo Paredes, Universidad Central de Ecuador, Quito, Ecuador
Box 2
Ethnobotanical knowledge on Artocarpus altilis retrieved from indigenous communities of Ecuador based on bibliographic reports under predefined categories Classification of Plant Uses (Luzuriaga-Quichimbo, 2017Luzuriaga-Quichimbo, C.X., 2017. Estudio etnobotánico en comunidades kichwas amazónicas de Pastaza, Ecuador. Extremadura, España.).
Box 4 Artocarpus altilis: main chemical components and activities reported by different authors, based on Hafid et al. (2016)Hafid, A.F., Septiani, R.P., Fabriana, L.H., Febrianty, N., Ranggaditya, D., Widyawaruyanti, A., 2016. Antimalarial activity of crude extracts of Artocarpus heterophyllus, Artocarpus altilis, and Artocarpus camansi. Asian J. Pharm. Clin. Res. 9, 261-263., Hakim (2010)Hakim, A., 2010. Diversity of secondary metabolites from genus Artocarpus (Moraceae). Nusant. Biosci. 2, 146-156., Hakim et al. (2007)Hakim, E.H., Achmad, S.A., Juliawaty, L.D., Makmur, L., Syah, Y.M., Aimi, N., Kitajima, M., Takayama, H., Ghisalberti, E.L., 2007. Prenylated flavonoids and related compounds of the Indonesian Artocarpus (Moraceae). J. Nat. Med. 61., and Sikarwar et al. (2014)Sikarwar, M.S., Hui, B.J., Subramaniam, K., Valeisamy, B.D., Yean, L.K., Balaji, K., 2014. A review on Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg (breadfruit). J. Appl. Pharm. Sci. 4, 91-97..
Fig. 1
Location of the field study in Ecuador.
Box 1
Uses of Artocarpus altilis in different regions of the world.
Oceania
Leaves are used as plates for serving food, as well as for making organic fertilizers and animal fodder
Ragone (1997)Ragone, D., 1997. Breadfruit. Artrocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg. In: Promoting the Conservation and Use of Underutilized and Neglected Crops. 10th International Plant Genetic Resource Institute, Rome, Italy.
Oceania
Bark to make out the cloth "tapa"
Ragone and Cavaletto (2006)Ragone, D., Cavaletto, C., 2006. Sensory evaluation of fruit quality and nutritional composition of 20 breadfruit (Artocarpus; Moraceae) cultivars. Econ. Bot. 60, 335-346.
Oceania
Ornamental tree for providing shade, which also yields good-quality wood for fuel and timber
Ragone (1997)Ragone, D., 1997. Breadfruit. Artrocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg. In: Promoting the Conservation and Use of Underutilized and Neglected Crops. 10th International Plant Genetic Resource Institute, Rome, Italy.
Oceania
Burning of dried male flowers acts as a repellent for flying insects
Ragone (1997)Ragone, D., 1997. Breadfruit. Artrocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg. In: Promoting the Conservation and Use of Underutilized and Neglected Crops. 10th International Plant Genetic Resource Institute, Rome, Italy.
Oceania
Latex is used as a chewing gum, glue for catching birds, sealer of canoes
Ragone (1997)Ragone, D., 1997. Breadfruit. Artrocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg. In: Promoting the Conservation and Use of Underutilized and Neglected Crops. 10th International Plant Genetic Resource Institute, Rome, Italy.
Oceania
Externally applied for fractures, sprains, wounds, mycosis, ulcers, diarrhea, malaria, hypertension and diabetes
Heuzé et al. (2017)Heuzé, V., Tran, G., Hassoun, P., Bastianelli, D., Lebas, F., 2017. Breadfruit (Artocarpus altilis) in Feedipedia - Animal Feed Resources Information System [WWW Document]. NRA, CIRAD, AFZ FAO, URL http://www.feedipedia.org/node/523. http://www.feedipedia.org/node/523...
Oceania
Bark and leaves against headaches and ear infections
Campos Florián (2013)Campos Florián, J., 2013. Hypolipidemic effect of aqueous extract from the leaves of Artocarpus altilis "breadfruit" in Rattus norvegicus induced hiperlipidemia. Sci. Agropecu. 4, 275-283.
Perú
Root is cooked to prepare mouth rinses. It is applied onto hernias
Mejía and Reginfo (2000)Mejía, K., Reginfo, E., 2000. Plantas Medicinales de la Amazonía Peruana. Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional, Lima, Perú.
Perú
Fractures, burns, and insect bites
Molina-Ayme (2011)Molina-Ayme, Y., 2011. Estudio etnobotánico y etnofarmacólogico de plantas medicinales de Tambopata, Madre de Dios Perú | Molina Ayme | Ciencia y Desarrollo. Rev. Mundo Nat. 4, 7-26.
Perú
Malaria, hypertension, anemia
Acostupa et al. (2013)Acostupa, R.J.H., Bardales, J.J.A., Teco, R.M.V., 2013. Uso de las plantas medicinales en la comunidad El Chino del área de conservación regional comunal Tamshiyacu-Tahuayo, Loreto Perú. Conoc. Amaz. 4, 77-86.
Perú
Diarrhea
Medina Larico (2018)Medina Larico, R.A., 2018. Etnobotánica cuantitativa de las plantas medicinales en la comunidad nativa Nuevo Saposoa, provincia Coronel Portillo, Ucayali, Perú. Nacional de San Agustín de Arequipa.
Venezuela
Sedative
Delgado et al. (1994)Delgado, R., Sanabria, M.E., González, R., Cumana, L.J., 1994. Plantas medicinales de Macuro, estado Sucre, Venezuela. Saber 6.
Venezuela
Shade for coffee and cocoa plantations
Herrera et al. (1987)Herrera, R., Aranguren, J., Escalente, G., Cuenca, G., Accardi, A., Navidad, E., Toro, M., 1987. Coffee and cacao plantations under shade trees in Venezuela. Ser. Tec. Inf. Tec. - Cent. Agron. Trop. Investig. y Ensen.
Colombia
Medicinal
Valencia Herrera et al. (2010)Valencia Herrera, W., Hernández Londoño, C., Montealegre Ramírez, Y., 2010. Plantas oleaginosas del Caquetá, amazonia colombiana. Ing. Amaz. 3, 28-39.
Bolivia
Material for colorants, ferments, paper, and cloths
Killeen et al. (1993)Killeen, T.J., Garcia, E.G., Beck, S.G., 1993. Guía de Arboles de Bolivia. Garden, Herbario Nacional de Bolivia & Missouri Botanical, B.
Bolivia
Root: diarrhea, rheumatism, beriberi, and numbness of the legs. Fresh flowers have been considered emollient; the seeds, digestive and genitourinary stimulants; the crushed fruits external suppurative and the latex a remedy against herniated children
Box 2
Ethnobotanical knowledge on Artocarpus altilis retrieved from indigenous communities of Ecuador based on bibliographic reports under predefined categories Classification of Plant Uses (Luzuriaga-Quichimbo, 2017Luzuriaga-Quichimbo, C.X., 2017. Estudio etnobotánico en comunidades kichwas amazónicas de Pastaza, Ecuador. Extremadura, España.).
Categories
Part used
Preparation
Traditional knowledge
Native community - province of Ecuador
Human consumption form
Edible fruits or sweet fruits
Fruit
To prepare pudding
Pichincha, Azuay - Mestizo, Sucumbíos - Secoya, Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador, Orellana - Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador, Napo - Shuar, Unidentified ethnicity, Pastaza - Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador, Shuar, Morona Santiago - Unidentified ethnicity, Guayas, Coastal Region - Mestizo, Unidentified ethnicity
Seed
Fried with salt, eggs, and cooked like peanuts
For making cakes
Pichincha - Tsa'chi; Sucumbíos - Cofan, Secoya, Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador Napo - Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador, unidentified ethnicity
Unidentified ethnicity- El Oro
Non-alcoholic beverages
Seeds are ground and mixed with cooked cassava (Manihot esculenta) and left to ferment
Ingested as a drink
Animal fodder
Fruits/sweet fruits
Fruit
Used as a pig fodder
Unidentified ethnicity-Guayas, Coastal Region
Building
Houses, buildings, and agricultural facilities
Timber
Unidentified ethnicity- Coastal Region
Medicine
Digestive system
Latex
To relieve toothaches
Pichincha - Tsa'chi, mestizo, Napo - Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador, Sucumbíos, Pastaza - Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador, Orellana - Shuar, Unidentified ethnicity
Pichincha - Tsa'chi, Mestizo, Napo, Sucumbíos, Pastaza - Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador, Orellana - Shuar, Unidentified ethnicity - Coastal Region
Fruit pulp
Maturing plasters
Treating boils
Unidentified ethnicity - Coastal Region
Muscular and skeletal systems
Latex
Treating dislocations
Pichincha - Tsa'chi, Mestiza, Napo, Sucumbíos, Pastaza - Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador, Orellana - Shuar, Unidentified ethnicity - Coastal Region
Tumor diseases
Latex
For shrinking tumors
Pichincha - Tsa'chi, Mestiza, Napo, Sucumbíos, Pastaza - Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador, Orellana - Shuar, Unidentified ethnicity - Coastal Region
Infectious and parasitic diseases
Latex
Treatment of mumps
Pichincha - Tsa'chi, Mestiza, Napo, Sucumbíos, Pastaza - Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador, Orellana - Shuar, Unidentified ethnicity-Coastal Region
Latex
Applied onto the affected area
Used to remove larvae from inside the skin
Napo - Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador
Symptoms and states of undefined origin
Latex
Has fortifying and energizing properties
Orellana - Kichwa of Eastern Ecuador
Box 3
Specific ethnobotanical uses of Artocarpus altilis reported in the fieldwork.
Part of the plant used
Preparation
Method of usage/purpose of use
Consumption in human diet
Food
Fruit
The fruit is boiled in water for twenty minutes.
In the diet.
Human medicine
Digestive system
Latex obtained from the trunk
A diagonal cut is made on the trunk of the tree and "the milk" is collected in a woody fruit shell. One spoonful is taken repeatedly (about every four hours) until the irregularity of the stool ceases.
Dysentery
Insect bites and other animal bites
Latex obtained from the trunk
The latex extracted from the plant is placed directly where ="tupe" (human bot fly) has stung (to help the extraction of larvae of Dermatobia)
Used against myiasis: "to kill the tupe"
Additional information: It is cultivated in the chakra, or near the houses. It is collected throughout the year. It is not stored. It is used at present.
Box 4Artocarpus altilis: main chemical components and activities reported by different authors, based on Hafid et al. (2016)Hafid, A.F., Septiani, R.P., Fabriana, L.H., Febrianty, N., Ranggaditya, D., Widyawaruyanti, A., 2016. Antimalarial activity of crude extracts of Artocarpus heterophyllus, Artocarpus altilis, and Artocarpus camansi. Asian J. Pharm. Clin. Res. 9, 261-263., Hakim (2010)Hakim, A., 2010. Diversity of secondary metabolites from genus Artocarpus (Moraceae). Nusant. Biosci. 2, 146-156., Hakim et al. (2007)Hakim, E.H., Achmad, S.A., Juliawaty, L.D., Makmur, L., Syah, Y.M., Aimi, N., Kitajima, M., Takayama, H., Ghisalberti, E.L., 2007. Prenylated flavonoids and related compounds of the Indonesian Artocarpus (Moraceae). J. Nat. Med. 61., and Sikarwar et al. (2014)Sikarwar, M.S., Hui, B.J., Subramaniam, K., Valeisamy, B.D., Yean, L.K., Balaji, K., 2014. A review on Artocarpus altilis (Parkinson) Fosberg (breadfruit). J. Appl. Pharm. Sci. 4, 91-97..
Wang et al. (2007)Wang, Y., Xu, K., Lin, L., Pan, Y., Zheng, X., 2007. Geranyl flavonoids from the leaves of Artocarpus altilis. Phytochem. 68, 1300-1306.
Wang et al. (2007)Wang, Y., Xu, K., Lin, L., Pan, Y., Zheng, X., 2007. Geranyl flavonoids from the leaves of Artocarpus altilis. Phytochem. 68, 1300-1306.
2-Geranyl-2',3,4,4'-tetrahydroxydihydrochalcone
Cytotoxic
Wang et al. (2007)Wang, Y., Xu, K., Lin, L., Pan, Y., Zheng, X., 2007. Geranyl flavonoids from the leaves of Artocarpus altilis. Phytochem. 68, 1300-1306.
Prenylflavone
Cycloaltilisin
Cathepsin inhibitor
Patil et al. (2002)Patil, A.D., Freyer, A.J., Killmer, L., Offen, P., Taylor, P.B., Votta, B.J., Johnson, R.K., 2002. A new dimeric dihydrochalcone and a new prenylated flavone from the bud covers of Artocarpus altilis: potent inhibitors of cathepsin K. J. Nat. Prod. 65, 624-627.
Boonphong et al. (2007)Boonphong, S., Baramee, A., Kittakoop, P., Pakawan, P., 2007. Antitubercular and antiplasmodial prenylated flavones from the roots of Artocarpus altilis. Chiang Mai J. Sci. 34, 339-344.
Boonphong et al. (2007)Boonphong, S., Baramee, A., Kittakoop, P., Pakawan, P., 2007. Antitubercular and antiplasmodial prenylated flavones from the roots of Artocarpus altilis. Chiang Mai J. Sci. 34, 339-344.
Artonin V
Hano et al. (1994)Hano, Y., Inami, R., Nomura, T., 1994. Constituents of Moraceae plants. 20. A novel flavone, artonin V, from the root bark of Artocarpus altilis. J. Chem. Res. Syn. 9, 348-349.
Morusin
Cytotoxic Antitubercular Antimalarial
Boonphong et al. (2007)Boonphong, S., Baramee, A., Kittakoop, P., Pakawan, P., 2007. Antitubercular and antiplasmodial prenylated flavones from the roots of Artocarpus altilis. Chiang Mai J. Sci. 34, 339-344.
Oxepinoflavone
Artoindonesianin B
Cytotoxic
Boonphong et al. (2007)Boonphong, S., Baramee, A., Kittakoop, P., Pakawan, P., 2007. Antitubercular and antiplasmodial prenylated flavones from the roots of Artocarpus altilis. Chiang Mai J. Sci. 34, 339-344.
Chaplashin
Cytotoxic Antitubercular Antimalarial
Boonphong et al. (2007)Boonphong, S., Baramee, A., Kittakoop, P., Pakawan, P., 2007. Antitubercular and antiplasmodial prenylated flavones from the roots of Artocarpus altilis. Chiang Mai J. Sci. 34, 339-344.
Pyrano-flavone
Isocyclomorusin
Chen et al. (1993)Chen, C.C., Huang, Y.L., Ou, J.C., Lin, C.F., Pan, T.M., 1993. Three new prenylflavones from Artocarpus altilis. J. Nat. Prod. 56, 1594-1597.
Isocyclomullberin
Chen et al. (1993)Chen, C.C., Huang, Y.L., Ou, J.C., Lin, C.F., Pan, T.M., 1993. Three new prenylflavones from Artocarpus altilis. J. Nat. Prod. 56, 1594-1597.
Cyclomulberin
Chen et al. (1993)Chen, C.C., Huang, Y.L., Ou, J.C., Lin, C.F., Pan, T.M., 1993. Three new prenylflavones from Artocarpus altilis. J. Nat. Prod. 56, 1594-1597.
Cycloartocarpin
Cytotoxic Antitubercular Antimalarial
Boonphong et al. (2007)Boonphong, S., Baramee, A., Kittakoop, P., Pakawan, P., 2007. Antitubercular and antiplasmodial prenylated flavones from the roots of Artocarpus altilis. Chiang Mai J. Sci. 34, 339-344.
Xanthone
Cycloartobiloxanthone
Cytotoxic Antitubercular Antimalarial
Boonphong et al. (2007)Boonphong, S., Baramee, A., Kittakoop, P., Pakawan, P., 2007. Antitubercular and antiplasmodial prenylated flavones from the roots of Artocarpus altilis. Chiang Mai J. Sci. 34, 339-344.
Terpenoid
Terpenoid
Cycloartenol
No report
Altman and Zito (1976)Altman, L.J., Zito, S.W., 1976. Sterols and triterpenes from the fruit of Artocarpus altilis. Phytochem. 15, 829-830.
Stilbenoid
Stilbene
Artoindonesianin F
No report
Jagtap and Bapat (2010)Jagtap, U.B., Bapat, V.A., 2010. Artocarpus: a review of its traditional uses, phytochemistry and pharmacology. J. Ethnopharmacol. 129, 142-166.
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