Event brought together representatives from the Ministry of Science, companies, and scientific and productive communities to showcase the opportunities this fruit offers for business in the bioeconomy
On April 13, the Brazilian Center for Research in Energy and Materials (CNPEM) held the 2nd Licuri Symposium: Opportunities for Business in the Bioeconomy. This initiative was organized by the CNPEM in partnership with the Federal Universities of Pernambuco (UFPE) and Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), NBioCaat, COOPES, EMBRAPII, and the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation’s (MCTI) Bioeconomy Value Chains initiative. Over 200 people participated in person or online.
The licuri palm fruit is found in northeastern Brazil and contains an oil-rich nut with potential for countless applications. The fruit comes from the palm Syagrus coronata, native to the Caatinga biome; the oil of the licuri nut has been traditionally used by communities to heal wounds and to control high blood pressure and diabetes.
Products made with licuri were brought to the symposium by the cooperative
Sandra Dias, the interim director of the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory (LNBio), greeted symposium participants on behalf of CNPEM Director General Antonio José Roque, and emphasized how dialog with the various entities involved in the project has been productive as well as enriching for the professionals at the CNPEM.
“We are applying various methodologies, including some developed within the CNPEM, to investigate the chemical composition and potential pharmacological effects of molecules in licuri oil, and we are very excited to see the interest among companies in all the work that has been done.”
The many uses of the fruit are not limited to just oil: the residue left after processing is also valued not only by the communities that cultivate and harvest them, but also companies. Part of the discussions were dedicated to presenting licuri as an option for the plant-based market, while Professor Márcia Vanusa of UFPE discussed its nutritional potential.
“The protein level in licuri by-products leaves nothing to be desired in comparison with other oil-producing varieties, with very complete nutritional characteristics. Licuri could be called the unknown gold of the Caatinga.”
Daniela Trivella, a researcher at the CNPEM, introduced the various methodologies used to further investigate the chemical composition of licuri oil.
“Thanks to this initiative to bring together various actors, so far we have been able to identify at least two new bioactive molecules (aside from lauric acid) in licuri that have potential for use in pharmaceutical development.”
About the project
The MCTI Licuri Production Chain: Sustainable Innovation for the Bioeconomy of the Caatinga program is part of the MCTI’s Bioeconomy Value Chains program, and is led by the Caatinga Bioprospecting Center in the Department of Biochemistry at the Federal University of Pernambuco (NBIOCAAT/UFPE) in partnership with the Brazilian Biosciences National Laboratory at the CNPEM (LNBio/CNPEM), the School of Pharmacy at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), the “Bem Diverso” project at Embrapa Genetic Resources & Biotechnology, and the Production Cooperative of the Piemonte da Diamantina Region (COOPES).
The project includes conducting studies involving licuri nut oil and the residues that remain after processing, including activities to add value and develop products by assessing the physical and chemical parameters of the oil and resulting formulations, along with its stability, toxicity and cytotoxicity, antiviral, antibacterial, antifungal, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor activities, and to also evaluate the nutritional potential of by-products from licuri nut pressing.
Six formulations for new products are expected to be obtained from licuri oil. At the same time, the project strengthens the initial links in this production chain by training and disseminating good management practices in local communities, promoting an alternative for sustainable local development for populations who live in the Piemonte da Diamantina region of Bahia state in Brazil’s semi-arid region. COOPES, a cooperative that benefits from this project, has 200 members that include 120 women and 30 extractivist communities that are responsible for producing licuri oil.
Tereza Correia, the Director of the Licuri Production Chain Project (UFPE), presented the results of the project, which is now entering a second phase that incorporates important paradigm shifts. “This project is not limited to scientific and economic activity, but also covers environmental and sociocultural aspects as well as the objectives of the United Nations’ 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.”
Secretary of Strategic Policies and Programs (SEPPE-MCTI) Márcia Barbosa says that the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation, Luciana Santos, is “on board” for the Licuri Production Chain project, and that projects related to all areas of the bioeconomy are currently priorities in all the ministries. “My job is difficult, but essential. To learn, evoke, and identify important knowledge in this project that can be applied to other areas. Science benefits from accumulated and shared knowledge, and we must continue ideas that work.”
Sobre o CNPEM
Ambiente sofisticado e efervescente de pesquisa e desenvolvimento, único no Brasil e presente em poucos centros científicos do mundo, o Centro Nacional de Pesquisa em Energia e Materiais (CNPEM) é uma organização privada sem fins lucrativos, sob a supervisão do Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (MCTI). O Centro opera quatro Laboratórios Nacionais e é o berço do projeto mais complexo da ciência brasileira – Sirius – uma das fontes de luz síncrotron mais avançadas do mundo. O CNPEM reúne equipes multitemáticas altamente especializadas, infraestruturas laboratoriais globalmente competitivas e abertas à comunidade científica, linhas estratégicas de investigação, projetos inovadores em parceria com o setor produtivo e formação de investigadores e estudantes. O Centro é um ambiente impulsionado pela pesquisa de soluções com impacto nas áreas de Saúde, Energia e Materiais Renováveis, Agroambiental, Tecnologias Quânticas. A partir de 2022, com o apoio do Ministério da Educação (MEC), o CNPEM expandiu suas atividades com a abertura da Ilum Escola de Ciência. O curso superior interdisciplinar em Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação adota propostas inovadoras com o objetivo de oferecer formação de excelência, gratuita, em período integral e com imersão no ambiente de pesquisa do CNPEM. Por meio da Plataforma CNPEM 360 é possível explorar, de forma virtual e imersiva, os principais ambientes e atividades do Centro, visite: https://pages.cnpem.br/cnpem360/.
