Usos

Uses

Since pre-Hispanic times it has been widely cultivated in the tropics by various Amerindian cultures and used both to dye vegetable fibers and as body paint for ritual use. Some indigenous groups in the Brazilian Amazon also use it to protect the skin from the sun and as an insect repellent.   Since it contains bioactive compounds such as anthocyanins, flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins, and phenolic acid, its leaves have been used in traditional medicine for hundreds of years. Today it is considered by the Brazilian health authorities to be one of the most important medicinal plants from the Amazon region.   It has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, diuretic, emollient, expectorant, disinfectant, healing, antifungal and antibacterial properties. Due to its high iron content, it is also an effective aid against anemia. It is further used to treat bleeding, urinary tract infections, inflammation of the uterus and ovaries, skin damage such as wounds and herpes, biliary colic, jaundice, vomiting, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, osteoarthritis, syphilis, diabetes, leukemia and hepatitis. In the Amazon, the Tikuna and Makuna people prepare an infusion of the leaves to perform eye washes and treat conjunctivitis, especially in children.   Studies are currently underway to use it as a therapeutic agent against breast cancer. Although only animal testing has been carried out so far, its potential to reduce tumors is very promising. Furthermore, the combination of the plant extract and chemotherapy appears to positively influence treatment, reducing the effective dose of chemotherapy required and reducing some of its adverse effects.   Fridericia chica is also known as an aphrodisiac. Finally, thanks to its colorful and showy flowers, it is also used as an ornamental plant.

Pigmento

Pigment

Cudi produces a brownish-red color when its leaves are macerated. It is a very versatile plant, which produces a high-yielding ink that adheres well on all materials used as surfaces: paper, fique (natural fiber) and cotton. The process requires exposure to heat in order for the color to be properly fixed on the supports.