Aroeira do Sertao (Myracrodruon urundeva), widely abundant in the northern region
of Minas Gerais, in Brazil, is one of the hardest woods in the world with a dark red
heartwood which becomes black after sunlight exposure and it was widely used for the
production of fence posts and beams as it lasts for more than one hundred years as far
as we know, even in contact with the ground. Its name is from our native Guarani tribe,
meaning “the one that makes the stone dull”, All other wood species could be carved
with stone instruments, except the Aroeira, for its hardness.
The tree grows natively and abundantly on the semi-arid forest called Mata Seca
(Dry Forest) and it pulls lots of minerals from the ground to its cells and nectar.
Allied to that, in order to protect itself from the extreme heat, the tree produces a
large number of Phenolic compounds and it expels a sap which attracts a Psilid
(Tainares myracrodruon) which is only found on the Aroeira trees. This insect along
with aphids consume the sap and excrement the Honey Dew, which is also collected
by the bees along the tree nectar in order to make the powerful Aroeira honey. This
entire process generates a great number of phenolic compounds both on the nectar
and the honey dew.
According to scientific studies, these phenolic compounds fight Helicobater pylori,
which is a bacterium, hard to be fought with usual medicine and it is the main
responsible bacteria which causes stomach cancer, gastric problems and colitis. The
phenolic compounds in our bodies will help us boost the immune system, act like a
natural fungicide and bactericide, just like it does on the tree.
Independent scientific studies already have proven that.
The bees, which are from the Apis mellifera family, process the nectar and the
honey dew and make it great and delicious for human consumption.
The honey is a thick dark amber which has an exotic spiced toffee chocolate
taste and it never crystalizes as it has low amounts of sugars.
» Content of phenolic compounds in monofloral aroeira honey and in floral nectary tissue.
» Antioxidant activities of some monofloral honey types produced across Minas Gerais (Brazil).
