Euterpe oleracea
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64403bd00d23b382265914 |
| Scientific name | Euterpe oleracea |
| Authority | Mart. |
| First published in | Hist. Nat. Palm. 2: 29 (1824) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Among the cambé of the Brazilian Amazon, including communities along the Marajó archipelago, and in northeastern Brazil, infusions or decoctions of açaí seeds are taken for gastrointestinal upset, especially diarrhea and dysentery, while watery infusions of the fruit pulp or pericarp are sometimes used as a wash for inflamed wounds (Furlan, 1998; Shanley and Serra, 2006; Miranda et al., 2018). Farther south in Pará, a decoction of the seeds is also taken as a mild febrifuge to reduce fever (Furlan, 1998). In some coastal and riverine villages of Amapá and Pará, a cooled pulp infusion is applied topically or drunk to ease sore throats and mouth inflammation (Miranda et al., 2018). These preparations consistently involve the seed or the non-fibrous pulp/pericarp and are prepared as hot or warm drinks or soothing washes.
As a concise seed decoction, simmer 1 tablespoon of well-cleaned, crushed açaí seeds in 500 mL of water for 10 minutes, then steep covered for an additional 10 minutes. Strain and take 1–2 cups daily until symptoms ease. This protocol matches the “seed decoction” recorded among Brazilian communities in the ethnobotanical surveys cited. Do not exceed moderate daily use; avoid in pregnancy unless advised by a clinician; and use only mature seeds that have been properly cleaned, as unprocessed pulp or unripe material can cause gastrointestinal upset in sensitive individuals.
The berry pericarp of Euterpe oleracea is rich in anthocyanins—predominantly cyanidin 3-O-glucoside and cyanidin 3-O-rutinoside—alongside flavonoids, and the seed fat is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids such as linoleic and oleic acids (Pardini et al., 2012). These constituents help explain the astringent and anti-inflammatory effects described in traditional practice and the historical use of the decoctions for diarrhea and low-grade fever.
Açaí remains widely cultivated and commercially exported from northern Brazil, and today its fruits and by-products are incorporated into beverages and functional foods, while interest in its phenolic-rich extracts continues in modern research on oxidative stress and metabolic health (Pardini et al., 2012; Grupo Nicolau et al., 2018).
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
Frozen, freeze‑dried, and concentrated açaí pulp; clarified and clarified‑filtered açaí juice concentrates for beverages; aseptic-packed pulps; açaí‑flavored syrups and bases for smoothie chains; açaí‑based ice cream and sorbet mixes; açaí seed press cake (protein- and fiber-rich ingredient for feed).
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Fruit pulp is processed into shelf‑stable pulps, frozen “pucks,” freeze‑dried powders, and clarified or clarified‑filtered juice concentrates for manufacturers of ready‑to‑drink beverages, smoothies, juice blends, and frozen dessert bases. Manufacturers blend and pasteurize the pulp for dairy alternative drinks and use aseptic packaging for distribution. Pulp-derived flavor and color systems are used in confectionery and bakery applications without making any health claims.
Colorants and tanning:
Açaí pulp and peel provide natural anthocyanins and procyanidins used as food‑grade colorants in beverages and confections; recent lab trials assess performance as pH‑dependent colorants in food systems. No documented textile tannin/dye use is reported.
Wood and fiber:
Young stems (palha) and older trunks are used as posts, stakes, and in low‑rise construction; fibers are used for thatch and mats; leaves for handicrafts (baskets and hats).
Fragrance and cosmetics:
Extracts of pulp/peel are used in cosmetics as functional ingredients for pigment/color effects and antioxidant systems in skincare and hair care products (no fragrance claims are documented; flavor/odor applications are food‑related).
Properties relevant to use:
The pulp contains neutral oils and emulsifiers that yield a smooth, creamy texture and stable suspensions suitable for freezing and beverage stabilization. Seed oil is characterized by a high oleic/linoleic content, low iodine value, and oxidative stability suitable for food and non‑food applications. Fruit extracts provide anthocyanins (delphinidin/cyn‑based glycosides) and other polyphenols, conferring deep purple hues and pH‑dependent color behavior in food systems.
Standards and regulation:
Food uses are governed by national food laws for processed fruit products; anthocyanin colorants must meet regional specifications such as E163 in the EU or US CFR Title 21 for food colorants when applicable to food formulations.
Sustainability and sourcing:
Açaí berries are harvested primarily from wild and semi‑managed populations in várzea and terra firme habitats of the Amazon estuary. Sustainable management focuses on maintained várzea hydrology, selective fruit picking, community quotas, and traceability efforts in Brazil and neighboring regions.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Catis martiana | O.F.Cook | Bull. Torrey Bot. Club 28: 557 (1901) |
| Euterpe badiocarpa | Barb.Rodr. | Contr. Jard. Bot. Rio de Janeiro 1: 12 (1901) |
| Euterpe beardii | L.H.Bailey | Gentes Herbarum 7: 426 (1947) |
| Euterpe brasiliana | Oken | Allg. Naturgesch. 3(1): 674 (1841) |
| Euterpe cuatrecasana | Dugand | Revista Acad. Colomb. Ci. Exact. 8: 393. 1951 |
| Euterpe cuatrecasasiana | Dugand | Revista Acad. Colomb. Ci. Exact. 8: 393 (1951) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | assai palm |
| English | açaí |
| English | palisade palm |
| English | multistemmed assai palm |
| English | cabbage palm |
| English | açaí palm |
| Spanish | azai |
| Spanish | catis martiana |
| Spanish | euterpe beardii |
| Spanish | assaí |
| Spanish | euterpe cuatrecasana |
| Spanish | euterpe brasiliana |
| Spanish | asai |
| Spanish | azaí |
| Spanish | huasai |
| Spanish | huasaí |
| Spanish | manaca |
| Spanish | assai |
| Spanish | asaí |
| Spanish | açaí |
| Spanish | açai |
| Spanish | acaí |
| Spanish | acai |
| Spanish | euterpe badiocarpa |
| Arabic | نخل الآساي |
| Arabic | نخل الأكاي |
| Bulgarian | асаи |
| Bulgarian | ассай |
| Catalan | açaí |
| Czech | açaí |
| Czech | palma acai |
| Czech | acai |
| Danish | acaipalme |
| German | açaizeiro |
| German | açaí |
| German | acai |
| Esperanto | asaio |
| Esperanto | açaí |
| Esperanto | acai |
| Estonian | salat-euterpepalm |
| Estonian | acai palm |
| Persian | نخل آسای |
| Finnish | paranassaipalmu |
| French | açaï |
| French | wasséï |
| French | palmier pinot |
| French | acai |
| French | murrapo |
| French | manaka |
| French | assai |
| French | acaï |
| French | açaizeiro |
| French | açai |
| French | açaí |
| frr | kualpualem |
| Galician | azaí |
| gn | yasa'i |
| Gujarati | અસાઈ તાડ |
| Hebrew | אסהי |
| Hebrew | אסאי |
| Croatian | kolova palma |
| Armenian | Ասաի |
| Indonesian | palem açaí |
| Italian | açai |
| Japanese | アサイー |
| Japanese | ワカバキャベツヤシ |
| Korean | 아사이 |
| Korean | 아사이야자 |
| Lithuanian | aliejinė kopūstpalmė |
| Malayalam | അസ്സായി പന |
| mni | ꯑꯀꯥꯢ ꯄꯥꯝ |
| mnw | အခါဲအဳ၊ တၞံ |
| Malay | açaí |
| Norwegian Bokmål | açaibær |
| Norwegian Bokmål | açaí |
| Dutch | açaí |
| Dutch | acai |
| Polish | euterpa warzywna |
| Polish | warzywnia warzywna |
| Polish | acai |
| Portuguese | juçara |
| Portuguese | açaí |
| Portuguese | açaizeiro |
| Russian | Асаи |
| Slovenian | acai palma |
| srn | acai |
| Swedish | para-assaipalm |
| Swedish | kålpalm |
| Tamil | அகாய் பனை |
| Tamil | அச்சாய் பனை |
| Thai | อาซาอี |
| Thai | ปาล์มอาซาอี |
| Turkish | acai üzümü |
| Urdu | اکائی بیری |
| Chinese | 巴西苺 |
| Chinese | 菜椰 |
| Chinese | 千叶菜椰 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Southern America click to expand
-
Brazil
- Brazil North
- Brazil Northeast
-
Caribbean
- Trinidad-Tobago
-
Northern South America
- French Guiana
- Guyana
- Suriname
- Venezuela
-
Western South America
- Colombia
- Ecuador
-
Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000965687 |
| UNII | Y57H6218HP |
| USDA Plants | EUOL2 |
| Tropicos | 2401358 |
| INPN | 731659 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:666941-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-83095 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 458106 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 115466 |
| IPNI | 666941-1 |
| iNaturalist | 365244 |
| GBIF | 5293398 |
| Freebase | /m/052z3z |
| EPPO | ETQOL |
| EOL | 1100375 |
| US Library of Congress | sh95003985 |
| USDA GRIN | 16475 |
| Wikipedia | A%C3%A7a%C3%AD_palm |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCA_057924105.1 | ASM5792410v1 | Chromosome | Hainan University | 2026-06-04 | 70 | 3.24 Gb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
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If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
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Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
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| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Benzenoids / Phenols / Methoxyphenols | |||||
| Dihydroconiferyl alcohol | 16822 | Click to see | 182.22 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Lignans, neolignans and related compounds | |||||
| 1-(4-Hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-2-(4-(3-hydroxypropyl)-2-methoxyphenoxy)propane-1,3-diol | 5318277 | Click to see | 378.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| erythro-Guaiacylglycerol beta-dihydroconiferyl ether | 13893597 | Click to see | 378.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Lignans, neolignans and related compounds / Aryltetralin lignans / 9,9p-dihydroxyaryltetralin lignans | |||||
| (+)-Isolariciresinol | 160521 | Click to see | 360.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| 5-Methoxy-isolarisiresinol, (+)- | 21574504 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC(=C1O)OC)C2C(C(CC3=CC(=C(C=C23)O)OC)CO)CO | 390.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| 8-(4-Hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-6,7-bis(hydroxymethyl)-3-methoxy-5,6,7,8-tetrahydronaphthalen-2-ol | 73797136 | Click to see | 390.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| Isolariciresinol (6CI); (+)-Cyclolariciresinol; (+)-Isolariciresinol; Isolariciresinol, (+)-;-Conidendryl alcohol | 4177125 | Click to see | 360.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Lignans, neolignans and related compounds / Furanoid lignans | |||||
| (+-)-Pinoresinol | 234817 | Click to see | 358.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| Pinoresinol | 73399 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)C2C3COC(C3CO2)C4=CC(=C(C=C4)O)OC)O | 358.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| Syringaresinol | 100067 | Click to see | 418.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| Syringaresinol, (+)- | 443023 | Click to see | 418.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Lignans, neolignans and related compounds / Furanoid lignans / Tetrahydrofuran lignans / 7,9-epoxylignans | |||||
| Lariciresinol | 332427 | Click to see COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)CC2COC(C2CO)C3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)OC)O | 360.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| Tetrahydro-2-(4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)-4-((4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl)methyl)-3-furanmethanol | 134203 | Click to see | 360.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Monoterpenoids / Acyclic monoterpenoids | |||||
| 2,6-Dimethyl-2,6-octadiene-1,8-diol, (E,Z)- | 13619433 | Click to see CC(=CCO)CCC=C(C)CO | 170.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| 2,6-Dimethylocta-2,6-diene-1,8-diol | 537558 | Click to see CC(=CCO)CCC=C(C)CO | 170.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| 6-Hydro xy-2,6-dimethyl-2,7-octadienoic acid | 3015413 | Click to see | 184.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| Menthiafolic acid, (S)- | 10845194 | Click to see | 184.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| (6R,7E,9R)-9-Hydroxy-4,7-megastigmadien-3-one | 13857510 | Click to see | 208.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| CID 520684 | 520684 | Click to see | 208.30 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Benzoquinones / P-benzoquinones | |||||
| 2,6-Dimethoxyquinone | 68262 | Click to see COC1=CC(=O)C=C(C1=O)OC | 168.15 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Organic oxygen compounds / Organooxygen compounds / Carbonyl compounds / Phenylketones / Alkyl-phenylketones | |||||
| 3-Hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-1-propanone | 75142 | Click to see | 196.20 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| 3-Hydroxy-1-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)propan-1-one | 54353627 | Click to see | 226.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Benzofurans | |||||
| 6-Hydroxy-4,4,7a-trimethyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydro-1-benzofuran-2(4H)-one | 14334 | Click to see | 196.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| Loliolide | 100332 | Click to see CC1(CC(CC2(C1=CC(=O)O2)C)O)C | 196.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / 2-arylbenzofuran flavonoids | |||||
| 2,3-Dihydro-2-(4-hydroxy-3,5-dimethoxyphenyl)-3-(hydroxymethyl)-7-methoxy-5-benzofuranpropanol, (2R,3S)- | 162919261 | Click to see | 390.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| 4-[3-(Hydroxymethyl)-5-(3-hydroxypropyl)-7-methoxy-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-2-yl]-2-methoxyphenol | 4365980 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC2=C1OC(C2CO)C3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)OC)CCCO | 360.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| 4-[3-(Hydroxymethyl)-5-(3-hydroxypropyl)-7-methoxy-2,3-dihydro-1-benzofuran-2-yl]-2,6-dimethoxyphenol | 56849116 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC2=C1OC(C2CO)C3=CC(=C(C(=C3)OC)O)OC)CCCO | 390.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| Dihydrodehydroconiferyl alcohol, (7R,8S)-(-)- | 5274623 | Click to see COC1=CC(=CC2=C1OC(C2CO)C3=CC(=C(C=C3)O)OC)CCCO | 360.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Flavanones / Flavanonols | |||||
| 3,5,7-Trihydroxy-2-(4-Hydroxyphenyl)Chroman-4-One | 662 | Click to see | 288.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| Aromadendrin | 122850 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O)O | 288.25 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones | |||||
| Apigenin | 5280443 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O | 270.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / O-methylated flavonoids / 3-O-methylated flavonoids | |||||
| Chrysoeriol | 5280666 | Click to see | 300.26 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/JF801792N |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |