Dacryodes

Abstract: A synoptic revision is presented for the genus Dacryodes Vahl in Africa. The studies are based on examination of herbarium material. Eighteen species are recognised, including two not well known due to poor material. The new species Dacryodes villiersiana Onana is described and illustrated. The conservation status of the species is discussed following the categories and criteria of IUCN (2001).

Abstract: o The Oilbird {Steatornis caripensis) is a nocturnal frugivore that breeds and roosts in caves in forested areas from Trinidad through to Peru and Bolivia. We have studied the diet of a colony of Oilbirds in north-eastern Vene- zuela {Caripe, Monagas State), from July 1985 to January 1988, emphasizing the species composition of the fruit plants utilized, seasonality of fruit availability, energy content and nutrient composition of the fruit pulp, and fruit and seed dimensions. Oilbirds ate the fruits of 19 species of Lauraceae, 9 of palms, 3 of Burseraceae, and 1 of Araliaceae. The proportions to the diet contributed by each of those families, estimated from collections of seeds regurgitated by Oilbirds in the study colony, were: Lauraceae 43.9 %, Palmae 46.5 %, Burseraceae 9.3% and Araliaceae 0.4 %. However, when considering proportions of fruit pul f consumed, Lauraceae {47.1 %) were more important that palms {22.1 %) and Burseraceae {30.7 %). Most species o Lauraceae had a clearly defined, but rather prolonged, fruiting season. Palrns, in contrast, showed little seasonality. Dacryodes trinitensis, the most important Burseraceae eaten, produced fruit at supra-annual intervals. The breeding season of Oilbirds in the study area coincides with the period of maximum Lauraceae fruit availability. The fruits of the most important laurels of the diet begin to ripen in March during the pre-Iaying period, and peak from April, when egg laying begins, through July, when most nests have well-developed young. During the non-breeding season Oilbirds depended mainly on palms. The pulp of Lauraceae fruit had on average, on a dry matter basis, a very high lipid {49.6 %) and eneT content {31.8 k) per g) and a Nitrogen content of 1.47 %. Palms had a lower lipid {12.5 %) and energy content {23.2 k) per g) and a Nitrogen content of 1.52 %. Burseraceae had the highest Nitrogen content {2.38 %). Within the set of fruits used by Oilbirds in our study area no simple pattern emerged between fruit characteristics that could be considered rewarding to the birds {such as energy or Nitrogen content of thei ulps) and those, such as seed load, that could be considered costly. We discuss the consequences of using a lipi and energy rich diet in relation to frugivory in Oilbirds. 25 September 1994.

Abstract: Essential oils are highly demanded substances worldwide. They can be used without modification due to their different chemical and biological properties or as natural sources of chemical compounds. The limit in the use of these metabolites is their low yield. In the present investigation, the essential oil of fruits from Dacryodes peruviana collected in the Ecuadorian Amazon was extracted and studied. The essential oil was released from the plant matrix and isolated by hydrodistillation. The yields obtained were 4.8 ± 0.2% and 11.3 ± 0.2% for fresh and dried fruits, respectively, one of the highest yields on record to date. Twenty-five chemical compounds were identified by GC/MS and GC/FID techniques. The principal constituent was α-phellandrene, with 50.32 ± 3.32%. The antimicrobial activity of the oil was assayed against five Gram negative bacteria, two Gram positive bacteria and two fungi. The essential oil exerted a moderate activity against Staphylococcus aureus. The repellent activity of the oil was assayed against mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae); the samples with 3%, 2% and 1% essential oil were class 4, and the sample with 0.5% showed to be class 3. The essential oil showed a weak antioxidant activity through the DPPH and ABTS methods.