Theobroma grandiflorum
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID643fff19208e5952496121 |
| Scientific name | Theobroma grandiflorum |
| Authority | (Willd. ex Spreng.) K.Schum. |
| First published in | Fl. Bras. 12(3): 76 (1886) |
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 indigenous and settler communities in the Amazon, Theobroma grandiflorum has long been handled as a food and light medicinal plant. Around Iquitos, Peru, inhalation of steam from the boiled husk was used for “salud interna” and related to normal cleansing or simple care, according to Schultes & Raffauf (1990). The dried husk is commonly used to brew a mildly bitter tea in northern Brazil, and the same material is decocted with fruits and herbs in a traditional cold beverage known as Jurupará, recorded by Ulrich (1991) and by Bennett & Prance (2000). In the state of Pará, the toasted seed (called “cará”) is chipped and steeped with cocoa butter to make a chocolate‑like drink, a domestic use also described by Côté et al. (2004). Among urban users in the Amazon estuary, fruit pulp is mixed with water to a light infusion, while the husks are used for a quick home tea, reported by Santos (2017) and by Côté et al. (2004). A modern recipe is simple: to prepare a cupuassu husk tea, measure 4–6 g of dried husks and pour 250 ml of near‑boiling water over them, steep 8–10 minutes, then strain and cool. To make Jurupará, boil 40 g of cupuassu husks in 1 liter of water for 25 minutes, cool, then mix 1 part decoction with 2 parts cold water, add sugar, orange or pineapple juice, and ice; the drink is usually served diluted and mildly sweetened. Commonly cited dose is 4–10 g of husks per day as an infusion; there are no known toxicity issues, but seeds are rich in fats and caffeine‑like compounds similar to cacao, so excess intake of the cará infusion is not advised. Fruiting seed and pericarp contain lipids and long‑chain esters that account for the buttery, chocolate‑like aroma; the husks are a source of saponins, theobromine, and purine alkaloids, which plausibly underlie the gentle stimulant character of the tea, as reported by Clément & Averill (1986) and Bennett & Prance (2000). Today, dried husks, cupuassu pulp, and ground cará are widely available in Brazilian markets and e‑commerce, while lab and field studies continue to profile their antioxidant and anti‑inflammatory activities, especially for the aqueous extract (e.g., Natalia et al., 2014), and artisanal cupulate and related products remain popular for home use and niche food lines.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
• Pulp as raw material for juices, nectars, syrups, pulpy beverages, and frozen desserts; concentrate for flavoring drinks and dairy alternatives.
• Seed fat (cupuassu butter) fractionated into hard and soft fractions for confectionery and cosmetics; used to adjust rheology and gloss in chocolate coatings, pralines, and bakery fillings; used in balms, creams, and lotions for texture and spreadability.
• Defatted seed meal as cocoa cake or cupuassu cake for flavoring and as an ingredient in cookies, bars, and fillings.
Industrial and craft applications:
• Seed fat fractionation into high-melting stearin (cocoa butter equivalent-type fraction) and low-melting olein to tailor hardness, gloss, and snap for coatings and molded products; remanufacture of cocoa butter equivalents.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
• Beverages: juice, nectar, and blended drinks from pulp; pulp blends with other Amazonian fruit juices.
• Confectionery and desserts: frozen desserts, ice cream, sorbet, and yogurt-style products using pulp; bars, fillings, and toppings using seed cake and fat fractions.
• Baked goods and snacks: flavoring chips or extruded snacks using defatted seed meal.
Colorants and tanning:
• No documented non-medicinal colorant or tannin applications for this taxon.
Wood and fiber:
• No documented non-medicinal timber or fiber applications for this taxon.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
• Seed fat used in formulations (balms, creams, lotions, lip care) for consistency, spreadability, and sheen; exploited for its high stearic/oleic composition and suitable melting behavior.
Properties relevant to use:
• Seed fat composition characterized by high levels of stearic and oleic acids; typical solids content yields plasticity near body temperature and confers gloss and snap in confectionery systems.
Standards and regulation:
• Codex Alimentarius Standard for Cocoa Butter (CXS 141-1983) recognizes cocoa butter equivalents including fractions of similar composition; fatty acid and triglyceride profiles determine suitability for substitution.
• National food regulations (e.g., Brazil’s ANVISA) and customs classification codes govern product identity, contaminants, and labeling for cocoa/cupuassu-derived ingredients.
Sustainability and sourcing:
• Seeds and pulp sourced from managed cupuassu trees in primary and secondary forest systems in the Amazon region; seed collection for fat and pulp can provide income diversification while encouraging retention of shade trees in agroforestry plots.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Theobroma macranthum | Bernoulli | Denkschr. Schweiz. Naturf. Ges. 24(3): 11 (1871) |
| Bubroma grandiflorum | Willd. ex Spreng. | Syst. Veg. 3: 332 (1826) |
| Guazuma grandiflora | (Willd. ex Spreng.) G.Don | Gen. Hist. 1: 523 (1831) |
| Theobroma macrantha | Bernoulli | Übersicht Theobroma 11 1869 |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | cupuaçu-tree |
| English | cupuassu |
| English | cupu assu |
| English | cupuaçu |
| English | cupuazú |
| English | copoasu |
| Spanish | cupuazú |
| Spanish | cupuazu |
| Spanish | cupuacu |
| Spanish | copoazú |
| Spanish | copoazu |
| Spanish | cupuaçu |
| Arabic | كوبواسو |
| Catalan | cupuassu |
| Catalan | cupuaçu |
| German | copoazu |
| German | cupuaçu |
| German | großblütiger kakao |
| German | cupuacu |
| German | copoazú |
| Esperanto | kopoazuo |
| Persian | کوپوآکو |
| French | cupuaçu |
| gn | kupuasu |
| Hebrew | קופואסו |
| Italian | cupuaçu |
| Kazakh | Купуасу |
| Korean | 쿠푸아수 |
| koi | Купуасу |
| kv | Купуасу |
| lbe | Купуасу |
| Malayalam | കുപ്പാസു |
| mrj | Купуасу |
| Malay | cupuaçu |
| mwl | quopoaçu |
| Dutch | capuassa |
| Dutch | cupuazú |
| Dutch | cupuazu |
| Dutch | cupuassu |
| Dutch | cupuaçu |
| Dutch | cupuacu |
| Dutch | copoazú |
| Dutch | copoazu |
| Dutch | copoasu |
| Portuguese | cupuaçú |
| Portuguese | cupuaçu |
| Russian | Купуасу |
| Russian | Теоброма крупноцветковая |
| Serbian | Купуасу |
| Thai | กูปูวาซู |
| udm | Купуасу |
| Ukrainian | Купуасу |
| Chinese | 古布阿蘇 |
| Chinese | 大花可可樹 |
Germination/Propagation Top
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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
-
Caribbean
- Trinidad-Tobago
- Windward Islands
-
Central America
- Honduras
-
Northern South America
- Guyana
- Venezuela
-
Western South America
- Bolivia
-
Brazil
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000458603 |
| UNII | 5981681OND |
| USDA Plants | THGR7 |
| Tropicos | 30400582 |
| INPN | 779754 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:825580-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2520042 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 654082 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 108881 |
| IUCN Red List | 191158664 |
| IPNI | 825580-1 |
| iNaturalist | 332439 |
| GBIF | 3152208 |
| Freebase | /m/035td9 |
| EPPO | THOGR |
| EOL | 482162 |
| USDA GRIN | 101891 |
| Wikipedia | Theobroma_grandiflorum |
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_036013995.1 | ASM3601399v1 | Chromosome | UNESP-FCAV | 2024-01-24 | 40 | 404.28 Mb |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Organoheterocyclic compounds / Benzopyrans / 2-benzopyrans | |||||
| (3R)-8-hydroxy-3-methyl-1-oxo-3,4-dihydroisochromene-5-carbaldehyde | 44577733 | Click to see CC1CC2=C(C=CC(=C2C(=O)O1)O)C=O | 206.19 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)89350-4 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavans / Catechins | |||||
| 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydro-2H-1-benzopyran-3,5,7-triol | 1203 | Click to see | 290.27 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| Catechin | 9064 | Click to see | 290.27 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| Epicatechin | 72276 | Click to see | 290.27 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavones / Flavonols | |||||
| Kaempferol | 5280863 | Click to see | 286.24 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| Quercetin | 5280343 | Click to see | 302.23 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glucuronides / Flavonoid-3-O-glucuronides | |||||
| (2S,3S,4R,5S,6S)-6-[2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-4-oxochromen-3-yl]oxy-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxane-2-carboxylic acid | 154497005 | Click to see | 478.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| 6-(2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-Dihydroxy-4-Oxochromen-3-Yl)Oxy-3,4,5-Trihydroxyoxane-2-Carboxylic Acid | 12004528 | Click to see | 478.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| Methyl 6-[2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-4-oxochromen-3-yl]oxy-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxane-2-carboxylate | 73829983 | Click to see | 492.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| QUERCETIN 3-O-beta-D-GLUCURONIDE METHYL ESTER | 21722016 | Click to see | 492.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| Querciturone | 5274585 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)C(=O)O)O)O)O)O)O | 478.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glucuronides / Flavonoid-8-O-glucuronides | |||||
| 6-[2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-4-oxochromen-8-yl]oxy-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxane-2-carboxylic acid | 14887604 | Click to see | 478.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| 6-[2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-4-oxochromen-8-yl]oxy-3,5-dihydroxy-4-sulfooxyoxane-2-carboxylic acid | 72778684 | Click to see | 558.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| 6-[5,7-Dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-oxochromen-8-yl]oxy-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxane-2-carboxylic acid | 14332448 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(O2)C(=C(C=C3O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)C(=O)O)O)O)O)O | 462.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| 6-[5,7-Dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-oxochromen-8-yl]oxy-3,5-dihydroxy-4-sulfooxyoxane-2-carboxylic acid | 85418780 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(O2)C(=C(C=C3O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)C(=O)O)O)OS(=O)(=O)O)O)O | 542.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| HYPOLAETIN 8-O-beta-D-GLUCURONIDE | 14887605 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(O2)C(=C(C=C3O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)C(=O)O)O)O)O)O)O | 478.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| ISOSCUTELLAREIN 8-O-beta-D-GLUCURONIDE | 14332450 | Click to see | 462.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| ISOSCUTELLAREIN 8-O-beta-D-GLUCURONIDE 6''-METHYL ESTER | 44566911 | Click to see | 476.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| Methyl 6-[5,7-dihydroxy-2-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-oxochromen-8-yl]oxy-3,4,5-trihydroxyoxane-2-carboxylate | 75072217 | Click to see | 476.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| theograndin I | 11156985 | Click to see C1=CC(=CC=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(O2)C(=C(C=C3O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)C(=O)O)O)OS(=O)(=O)O)O)O | 542.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| Theograndin II | 11272944 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=CC(=O)C3=C(O2)C(=C(C=C3O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)C(=O)O)O)OS(=O)(=O)O)O)O)O | 558.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-[(2S,3S,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-one | 26339717 | Click to see CC1C(C(C(C(O1)OC2=C(OC3=CC(=CC(=C3C2=O)O)O)C4=CC(=C(C=C4)O)O)O)O)O | 448.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
| 2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-4-oxo-4H-1-benzopyran-3-yl 6-deoxyhexopyranoside | 5353915 | Click to see | 448.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP034002J |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |