Caracterização física, química e toxicidade do fruto do Cuité (crescentia cujete linn).

Abstract

The calabash (Crescentia cujete Linn) is a plant species belonging to the family Bignoniaceae, native to Central America and can be found throughout the Northeast of Brazil. According to the use, preparation mode, treatment time, a particular plant may have both a therapeutic action, as toxic, which is extremely important to control the possible adverse effects that acute use may result in the body. Therefore, the acute toxicity tests are made with the purpose to predict the toxic effects or to determine the relative toxicity of the substances. The objective of this study was to evaluate the physical and chemical characteristics of the fruit of calabash (Crescentia cujete L.) and evaluate their toxicological potential using the bioassay Artemia salina Leach. Calabash of the fruits used for this study were collected from adult trees located in the gardens of the Center for Education and Health of the Federal University of Campina Grande, in the city of Cuité, Paraíba. The physical characteristics of the fruit in natura determined in the study were: total mass, mass of pulp (external and internal), shell thickness and thickness of the outer pulp, length, width and circumference. Chemical analysis of water content were held, pH, titratable acidity and crude protein of the shell, external pulp, inner pulp of the fruit and seed, and also the cuité leaves. It also determined the 50% lethal concentration (CL50) of ethanolic as a parameter of toxicity. The total fruit weight is made up of approximately 25 % of external pulp, 60 % of internal pulp and seeds, and 15 % peel. The average water content presented for the peel of the fruit was 45.62 %; to the external pulp 88.06 %; Internal pulp 89.20 % to 74.07 % of the seeds and the leaves was found a value of 56.37 % water content. The pH values were: skin (6.22), external pulp (5.29), internal pulp (4.88), seeds (5.73) and leaves (6.12). Of the four analyzed ethanol extracts, all presented values of concentrations higher than CL50> 1000 ppm, indicating that the Crescentia cujete fruit extracts are not toxic.