PHYTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS OF Cedrela odorata AND Spondias Mombin, TWO DIETARY SOURCES OF Callithrix pygmea ON THE YARAPA RIVER IN THE AMAZON BASIN OF PERU
K. FLOOD, E. RODRIGUEZ, J. C. PALOMINO, AND C. SANDOVAL

The biodiversity found in the Peruvian Amazon creates intense selection pressures on animal populations, causing them to exemplify unique adaptations for survival. Zoopharmacognosy is the study of such adaptations whereby animals use natural products to medicate themselves. Studying the ecology of primates can provide valuable information on medicinal plants that have potential use in both veterinary and human medicine. The purpose of this study was to elucidate the chemical ecology between saps from Spondias mombin (Anacardiaceae) and Cedrela odorata (Meliaceae), and the pygmy marmosets (Callithrix pygmea) that forage them on the Yarapa River, Loreto, Peru. Many of the components of these trees also serve as antibiotics and astringents for the indigenous people in the area. Therefore, it was hypothesized that the saps of S. Mombin and C. odorata would contain various anti-microbial properties that may be important to the health of the pygmy marmoset. The saps were extracted with 96% ethanol and distilled water (70:30); the bark, leaves, fruit, and seeds were extracted with 96% ethanol only. Preliminary chemical analysis was done using thin-layer chromatography (TLC) on aluminum-backed silica gel to separate compounds, and 2,2-diphenyl-1-pycrylhydrazyl (DPPH) to visualize antioxidant activity. Four bioassays were performed: anti-bacterial disk diffusion assays against Bacillus cereus (gram-positive) and Pseudomonas aeuruginosa (gram-negative), an anti-fungal disk diffusion assay against the yeast Candida albicans, and cytotoxicity tests on brine shrimp. Low anti-bacterial activity was observed in both sap and bark of S. mombin, whereas high antibacterial activity was seen in the leaves. The leaves and bark of S. mombin showed significant anti-fungal properties. C. odorata was not anti-bacterial, but its sap demonstrated high anti-fungal activity. High levels of cytotoxicity were observed in the leaves and fruit of both species and moderate levels were seen in the saps and barks. Antioxidant activity was revealed in all extracts except the C. odorata sap. The results provide insight into the uses of S. mombin and C. odorata as natural medicines by indigenous people in the region, and serve as a preliminary analysis of the unique exudate feeding behavior of the pygmy marmoset.