Emerging Infectious Diseases - Plants versus Chemicals

It has long been known by doctors and scientists that bacteria, viruses, parasites, fungi and other disease-causing microorganisms can readily develop defense mechanisms against our prescription drugs and become drug resistant. Many have already, as is readily apparent in the news today. The common staph bacteria (Staphylococcus) has gone thru so many mutations over the last thirty years that many different strains have evolved which are now completely resistant to the eight major antibiotic drugs that were once effective against it.  There are also at least five new strains of malaria that have evolved which are now completely resistant to our gold-standard antimalarial drugs. The hepatitis virus has continued to mutate into new types and subtypes and our antiviral drugs are largely ineffective. Could plants hold the answer? Very possibly! 

The rainforests of the world are, and will continue to be, of the most utmost importance and one of the main areas where the search for new antimicrobial drugs will likely take place.  Rainforests hold the highest biodiversity and sheer number of novel chemicals on the planet.  Acre for acre, there are more species of plants, animals, insects, and even microbial species such as bacteria, fungi and viruses than anywhere on earth. It is estimated that one-half of all species on earth are found in tropical rainforests.

Survival instincts are bred in all living things. It is literally part of the cellular makeup of all species on earth. In highly mobile species like humans, animals and insects, the main survival mechanism is  “flee, fight, or hide.”  Even bacteria and virus species are considered mobile and have learned to flee or hide from immune cells and chemical agents attacking them, as well as to fight them by mutating.  With stationary plants rooted to the ground and incapable of physically fleeing from danger, this survival instinct is controlled by wonderfully complex and rich chemical defense mechanisms that have evolved over eons. Living plants have either created a chemical defense mechanism against what might harm them, or they have succumbed and become extinct.

In the species-rich rainforest there are many species of fungi, mold, bacteria, viruses, parasites, and even insects that attack and kill plants.  It is of little wonder that rainforest plants contain so many potent and active plant chemicals—they are in a constant battle for survival in an environment literally teeming with life that is constantly evolving. From the soil-borne root-rot (a virus) that attacks tender herbaceous plants, to the fungi and mold smothering the life out of huge canopy trees or even the incredible amount of insects devouring any defenseless leaf in the forest. . .  rainforest plants have learned to adapt, create chemical defenses against attack and to survive. Within this rich arsenal of defensive chemicals, many rainforest plants have been tested with antibacterial, antiviral, anti-fungal, anti-parasitic, anti-mold and insecticidal chemicals with potent actions. This IS the mechanism they’ve use to survive, grow and flourish as well as to fight the many disease-causing organisms that attack them.   It is likely that within these diverse chemicals created to protect the plants from disease, at least a handful of highly active chemicals can and will be harvested and put to the use of protecting humans and animals from the same types of disease-causing organisms.

A very interesting emerging concept is that many disease-causing microorganisms can pretty easily adapt and mutate to become resistant to a single chemical, but. . . it would be much harder and take much more time for it to create a defense mechanism against numerous different chemicals simultaneously.  Unlike a single chemical drug, a single medicinal plant can contain up to 400 different chemicals or more— many of which can have active biological properties. Could this hold the answer?  Very possibly!.  For example: a rainforest Indian shaman’s “dysentery remedy” was evaluated a few years back by scientists. It was a crude plant extract that contained seven plants.  Now, one must remember; a dysentery diagnosis in the Amazon could be attributed to any number of different bacteria, amebas and even parasites in contaminated and communal food and water supplies found and shared in the close communal living environments of indigenous groups. The Indian shaman doesn’t have the ability to send blood or stool samples to a laboratory to find out which specific organism is causing the dysentery in his village, but he must still select the appropriate plants to treat his patients. Maybe this is why a shaman usually selects a handful of plants (about 4 to 7) to brew into a plant-based remedy, instead of just one.  When the seven different plants in the dysentery remedy were analyzed, at least twelve different known antibacterial chemicals, five anti-amebic chemicals, and seven anti-parasitic chemicals were found between all the plants in the shaman’s formula. Of the twelve different antibacterial chemicals in the extract, there were at least five different biological pathways of action which the plant chemicals possessed to kill bacteria.  Based on just the chemical content of the plant extract and the number of different dysentery-causing microbes that were susceptible to these chemicals. . . the shaman didn’t really need to know which microorganism was the culprit in what main-stream medicine would call his “shot-gun” approach. But... his shotgun was loaded with a thousand or more individual plant chemicals that had at least 31 active chemicals which hit the top 10 or so main microbes that might cause dysentery—and it was effective!  Imagine a conventional practitioner sending his patient home with 31 prescriptions. . . not likely!

But let’s go back to that interesting concept. . . If this particular dysentery-microbe was a easily-mutating bacteria like Staphylococcus; how likely would it be that this one organism could survive long enough to create a defense against 12 different antibacterial chemicals coming at it and in at least 5 different ways simultaneously? Not very likely.  That’s why, sometimes, plants really can be better than drugs.  These drug-resistant strains of bacteria are certainly more prevalent in first world nations which regularly employ single-chemical antibiotics than in poor tropical countries where mainly plant-based remedies are used. Maybe it will take a broadly-scattering “shotgun” to fight these tricky and quickly mutating organisms, instead of single chemical bullet.

As more of our gold-standard single-bullet drugs become less effective to newly developing strains of drug-resistant bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites; we will probably see more interest and research on medicinal plants, herbal based drugs and traditional remedies. Much of this research is taking place in the rainforests of the world.  The following rainforest plants (and/or their chemical constituents) have been identified through laboratory research to possess antimicrobial actions. For more information about these rainforest plants and the research conducted on them see the online Tropical Plant Database  or they can be found in my book, The Healing Power of Rainforest Herbs.

Antibacterial:
The rainforest plants documented with antibacterial actions are: abuta, ajos sacha, amor seco, anamu, andiroba, avenca, bellaco caspi, bitter melon, Brazilian peppertree, cat’s claw, clavillia, copaiba, cumaseba, embauba, erva tostão, fedegoso, gervâo, guacatonga, guaco, huacapu, macela, matico, mullaca, mulungu, mutamba, pau d’arco, picão preto, sangre de grado, sarsaparilla,  simarouba, tamamuri, ubos, and vassourinha.

Ten  of the most potent of these rainforest plants were formulated into one product that was sold in capsules and called Amazon C-F. It was also available in non-alcoholic liquid extract formulated for children called Amazon C-F Extract.  This glycerine liquid extract was also used topically on the skin for various skin infections.  Between the ten plants ingredients (cat's claw, amor seco, fedegoso, picão preto, mullaca, clavillia, simarouba, Brazilian peppertree, gervâo, and bitter melon) in these products there are at least 14 known chemicals that have been documented with antibacterial actions. There were also 8 different antiviral plant chemicals between all the plants that were active against common upper respiratory viruses.  C-F stood for Cold-Flu and it has been used for colds and flu effectively for over 15 years.  I've also personally used it for many other types of bacterial infections, here, and in my rainforest travels with remarkable results.

Antiviral:
The rainforest plants documented with antiviral actions include abuta, ajos sacha, amargo, anamu, bitter melon, Brazilian peppertree, carqueja, cat’s claw, chanca piedra, clavillia, erva tostão, huacapu, iporuru, macela, matico, mullaca, mutamba, pau d’arco, picão preto, sangre de grado, simarouba, ubos, and vassourinha.

Nine of these dynamic antiviral rainforest plants were formulated into a product called Amazon A-V  that was once sold by Raintree. Between these plants (which included a blend of bitter melon, clavillia, mullaca, jergon sacha, carqueja, amargo, chanca piedra, mutamba, and anamu) there are at least 11 documented plant chemicals with antiviral actions. The formula was also available in a topical formula for the skin that was called Amazon A-V Topical.

Anticandidal & Antifungal:
The rainforest plants that have been documented as active against fungi, yeast, candida and mold are anamu, avenca, bellaco caspi, Brazilian peppertree, clavillia, copaiba, cumaseba, guaco,  jatoba, matico, mulateiro, pau d’arco, picão preto, piri-piri, sangre de grado, tamamuri, ubos, and vassourinha.  All of these plants can be found in the Tropical Plant Database.

I formulated two products using twelve of these potent rainforest plants called Amazon A-F Capsules and Amazon A-F Topical (used topically on the skin and nails).  They contained jatoba, Brazilian peppertree, anamu, bellaco capsi, matico, piri-piri, pau d'arco, ubos, fedegoso, tamamuri, guaco, and graviola. The liquid topical formula also contained sangre de grado and copaiba oil, both documented with potent antifungal properties.  Between these plants, there are at least 19 documented antifungal and/or anticandidal plant chemicals.

Antiparasitic & Antiprotozoal:
The rainforest plants documented with actions against parasites and protozoa include amargo, anamu, andiroba, bitter melon, boldo, carqueja, epazote, erva tostão, fedegoso, graviola, guaco, huacapu, piri-piri, quinine, simarouba, tamamuri, and ubos.  More information on each plant can be found in my book or in the Tropical Plant Database.

I formulated a blend of ten of these rainforest plants (which include amargo, simarouba, boldo, fedegoso, carqueja, quinine, erva tostão, epazote, anamu, and graviola) that was sold by Raintree and called Amazon A-P capsules. These plant ingredients deliver 14 different plant chemical which are documented to kill various parasites, protozoa, and intestinal worms.

While Raintree Nutrition is no more, these formulas still live on. Why?  Because they work!   By following the above links on the product names, you can see instructions on how to make these formulas yourself.  Most all of these formulas  are now manufactured under different herbal manufacturers’ labels in the United States, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Ecuador, and Australia/New Zealand. You can find product search links to help you find them on the pages the formula name links to above.


I hope to find some time in the next month to create a new section of this blog called "Practitioner Insights" and share more specific details how these plants and formulas have helped so many people here in the U.S. and in my travels in the Amazon jungles. I have quite a few stories to tell!  I never trekked through the rainforest without one (or more) of each of these products/formulas in my backpack.

Abuta - Cissampelos pariera

Well, there was a lot of reading to be done to update the plant information on abuta.  There has been a significant amount of research published on abuta and/or its main active chemicals in the last ten years!  So far, research has confirmed that abuta has pain-relieving, fever-reducing, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antibacterial, anti-allergic, bronchodilator, immunomodulatory, memory-enhancing, antidepressant, neuroprotective, anti-obesity, antimalarial, antiparasitic, anti-ulcer, anticancer, antioxidant, heart-protective, muscle-relaxant, liver protective, antidiabetic, cellular protective, antifertility, and antivenom activities.  Whew!  These documented actions do go a long way in explaining most of abuta’s traditional uses.  You can read the new information on abuta in the Tropical Plant Database and the new sitemap which will direct you to all files on abuta on the Raintree Website is accessible here.

What struck me most was all of the research done by several different unrelated research groups on abuta’s newly documented cellular protective actions (never recorded in traditional uses).  These scientists tried to damage lots of different cells in the bodies of animals with lots of different chemicals and toxins known to do damage to these cells.  Heart cells,  kidney and liver cells, gastric and stomach cells, brain cells… lots of cells!  And abuta protected them all from being damaged.  Wow, huh?  They even injected a specific type of snake venom which causes immediate cellular hemorrhaging into animals along with just a alcohol/water extract of abuta and there was no hemorrhaging at all!  None. Wow, again, huh?  I was impressed.  Of particular note, the manner and mechanism that abuta uses to protect brain cells has justified that it might be highly beneficial in the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease.  I’m sure we’ll see more research in the future on that particular use of abuta.

Even more impressive was this specific cellular protective effect of abuta as it pertains to cancer, especially if chemotherapy is being used.  Tumors and cancers cause a big change in red and white blood cells and negatively affect other blood parameters.  Cancer’s effect also causes significant changes in the liver and liver cell counts.  When chemotherapy is used in the treatment of cancer, the toxicity of the chemo often causes toxicity to healthy cells, most especially in the blood and the liver.   One research group inoculated mice with lymphoma pre-cancerous cells and lymphoma tumors resulted.  In the animal group that got no treatment, the negative effects on blood and liver cells were evident and recorded.  In the animal group that got a chemo drug (5FU), these negative effects again, were evident and even greater.  Several groups of animals were given varying dosages of a methanol/water extract of abuta (ranging from 100-400 mg per kg of body weight of the animal) and there was absolutely no damage or changes in blood and liver cell counts and levels.  Not even at the lowest dosages used. Abuta protected these liver and blood cells from the cancer!  And, by the way, at the highest dosage of 400 mg/kg, abuta inhibited the tumor’s growth by 78%. Wow, again!

I wonder if abuta was administered to these animals along with the chemo drug, could it still protect the cells from damage?  I bet it could, and I bet we’ll be seeing new studies in the future reporting this.  It’s not too far-fetched – another rainforest plant, copaiba, has been studied recently and reported to reduce side effects of chemo drugs through a cellular protective effect, and it helped to make the chemo drugs work better against cancer.  You can read more about abuta and cancer in the new text in the Tropical Plant Database and in my book. You can also read the full research paper on abuta and lymphoma I am referring to here (warning: it might be too technical for the average reader).

The other BIG news on abuta is that it may well be a new cure for Dengue Fever.  Dengue is a viral infection carried and spread by a mosquito (much like malaria) and it’s all over the world in the tropics. Almost 400,000 people in the world get infected with dengue fever annually. Typically, where ever dengue can be found in the world, abuta can be found growing naturally (How cool is that?), including in India.  Starting in 2012, several studies were published by scientists in India that abuta can kill the dengue virus, prevent dengue infections and it lowers the high fever associated with the virus.  This group of Indian researchers have formed a partnership with a pharmaceutical company to produce a new abuta drug to treat dengue.  I don’t know if this new drug will ever reach the Amazon, but they just used a simple water/alcohol extract of abuta in their studies and these can certainly be prepared by local inhabitants in the rainforest to treat dengue fever themselves with it.  Abuta is found all over the Amazon rainforest.

With such a remarkable effect on this wide-spread virus, one has to wonder if abuta is capable of treating other disease-causing viruses.  I hope more research on abuta’s antiviral actions will be conducted and reported on in the future. I’ll be keeping an eye out for it!

In the meantime, it is still a wonderful remedy for menstrual pain, cramping and excessive bleeding and is being used to relieve the symptoms of fibroid tumors and endometriosis.  I created a Raintree formula for this purpose called Amazon Menstrual Support.  It’s also helpful for PMS (abuta is a documented diuretic and reduces water retention, and it has shown anti-anxiety and antidepressant effects to help with that PMS-related moodiness some women experience).  I also used abuta in a formula called Amazon Menopause Support and another called Amazon F-Tonic (a balancing female tonic formula) because of its studied actions in balancing female hormones.  Abuta has shown in animal studies to lower blood pressure and to have a protective and tonic effect on the heart.  I used it in the Amazon Heart Support formula I created for that purpose.  Abuta also has a long history of traditional use for kidney problems, including kidney stones and it has clinically demonstrated pain-relieving, smooth muscle relaxant (like the smooth muscles found in the kidney and urinary tract), and antispasmodic actions. I used abuta in the Amazon Kidney Support for those documented actions.  The Amazon Kidney Support formula was widely used and worked quite well for kidney stones; while a different formula called Amazon Urinary Support (which didn't contain abuta) which was used for kidney and urinary tract infections.

Abuta is a really good example of why herbal medicine drives conventional doctors crazy.   Conventionally trained MDs are used to prescribing one drug for one thing.  They just can’t wrap their head around the concept that one plant can be used for so many completely different things.  What they fail to understand is that drugs are just a single chemical, that mostly works in a single way (mechanism of action), and medicinal plants are the exact opposite of that!  A highly active medicinal plant like abuta can have well over 100 plant chemicals in it.  Abuta has 38 verified alkaloid chemicals alone! (Alkaloids are commonly found in plants and usually have demonstrable biological activities.) IF they can understand that concept, then the next question/worry is always… “Well, how do I really know how it will work if I don’t know the affects of all of these active chemicals by themselves, much less in combination with one another?”  When I tell them that he/she can’t quantify that, and that herbal medicine is based on the empirical knowledge of 100’s of years of knowledge of how these plants work (which results in the quantifiable traditional uses of the plants) that’s typically when I lose them and their eyes roll back in their head.   “Hocus-pocus, hee-bee-gee-bee stuff” they say.  I say, to each their own.  Especially when I oftentimes achieve better results with less side effects than they do.

Ajos Sacha - Mansoa

I’ve finished the update on Ajos Sacha and uploaded it to the Tropical Plant Database.  It’s available to read  here.  Ajos sacha's new sitemap is here.

The newer research I’ve reviewed over the last few days continues to validate ajos sacha’s traditional uses for arthritis (and other kinds of pain and inflammation) and for infections.

 Over 13 studies validating ajos sacha’s antimicrobial actions (against bacteria, fungi, and viruses) have been published showing that this common shrubby rainforest vine has broad-spectrum antimicrobial actions.  Its antifungal actions are quite strong and reported to be equal to that of a leading antifungal prescription drug.  

I confirmed that ajos sacha’s antimicrobial actions also included killing a species of bacteria called a spirochete years ago.  That was when I was formulating a new product for Lyme’s Disease.  The infective factor in Lyme’s Disease is a spirochete bacteria so I needed something that could kill them.  How do you figure out which plants might kill spirochetes and be beneficial to treat Lyme’s Disease?  It’s easy. . .  just look for plants with a long history of traditional use for syphilis and start testing them.  Syphilis is also caused by a spirochete bacteria and it’s been around for centuries.   

The formula I developed for Lyme’s is called Spiro - short for spirochete. All of the ingredients in Spiro have been traditionally used for syphilis and, guess what? When we tested them, they were all active against spirochete bacteria. You can find more information on the formula I developed at the Raintree website where it was sold in capsules and an extract.  Several other manufacturers now sell the formula under their own labels, so follow the product search links on those formula pages to find them if you need them.  You can even source your own rainforest herbs and make the formula yourself if you desire… information on how to make the formula is on those pages as well.

I also used ajos sacha for a formula I developed for colds and flu.  It was called Amazon C-F and it contained  rainforest plants, including ajos sacha, that had been confirmed with antibacterial and antiviral actions (among other actions that treated the symptoms of a cold or flu).  It also was sold in capsules and a liquid extract (the extract was great for kids, since it tasted good).  One of the next blogs I’ll be uploading will be about why medicinal plants sometimes work better than antibiotics and I’ll talk more about this C-F formula. 

If I were still formulating herbal products today, I would consider using ajos sacha in an antifungal and/or anticandidal formula with its verified strong antifungal actions. 

In my travels to the Amazon, I’ve been “smudged” by ajos sacha many times. A culturally-rich Indian shaman has “magical” and spiritual plants that he uses to drive away evil spirits, and ajos sacha is one of the most highly regarded one of these. They take a handful of dried leaves and wind it up into tightly packed coil.  They then set it on fire, put it out, and wave and blow the smoke all over you.  Not only is it believed to drive away evil spirits, it’s supposed to bring good luck as well.   

 I’ve also used ajos sacha in the rainforest as a spice/condiment.  It really does have a great garlic taste and smell (after crushing or bruising the leaves) and I’ve sprinkled it liberally over various kinds of “mystery meat” I’ve been served while visiting Indian tribes in the Amazon.  Sometimes it’s best NOT to know what you’re eating!  You’ll have to just trust me on this one.

Copaiba Oil - Copaifera sp

Another plant is finished and uploaded!  Don’t miss all the new information and studies that have been published on Copaiba which are now displayed in the Tropical Plant Database. I’ve also started to upload new sitemaps as I edit the plant information in the database so you don’t miss any files or information that are stored on the Raintree website.  Copaiba’s new sitemap is accessible here.

Wow, where to start on copaiba?  I guess the main shocker for me was that copaiba oil has been the subject of three double-blind placebo clinical trials with humans.  These types of clinical trials just aren’t conducted often on natural products or plants.  They’re expensive, and whoever funds them and/or conducts them can rarely recoup the money spent on this kind of trial since anyone can sell the product they’ve studied once their results are reported.  Because of that, these copaiba trials are quite small in the number of patients studied.    Make sure you read about these new human clinical trials in my book or in the database if you are looking for herbal remedies for psoriasis, facial acne, or dental problems like cavities and gingivitis/periodontal disease.

A great deal of the new research published on copaiba oil in the last 10 years are reconfirming the properties and actions of this rainforest oily resin that we’ve known about for many years through traditional uses and previously published research. Quite a few studies on copaiba oil’s wound healing, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial (very effective for Gram-positive bacteria), antiparasitic,  and anti-cancerous actions have been researched and reported. You know you’re on to something when you start to see the drug companies actually adding a natural plant or a plant’s naturally occurring plant chemical to their chemo-drug protocols to increase the effectiveness of their chemo drugs in addition to reducing the toxic side effects and publishing studies on them.  Don’t miss the information about β-caryophyllene (copaiba oil is over 50% β-caryophyllene) in combination with paclitaxel or copaiba oil in combination with doxorubicin drugs in the updated 2nd edition of my book.

Some of the new uses validated for copaiba oil recently are for endometriosis, Alzheimer’s, acne and anxiety. More information on these studies and potential uses can be found in my book and in the database. They are quite interesting.

Additionally, in one of the newly published studies on copaiba oil’s wound healing actions, they reported that copaiba oil significantly stimulated the production of collagen in skin cells when applied topically.  Hallelujah!  My wrinkles are going to love that!  I wouldn’t be surprised to see copaiba oil start showing up as an ingredient in some of those expensive anti-aging facial creams in the near future. When I was formulating products for Raintree I created two skin care products and copaiba was an ingredient in both. They were called Rainforest Revive and Rainforest Body Butter. Back then, I was mainly using copaiba in the products as a natural antiseptic/antibacterial and antioxidant ingredient to avoid using the standard harsh chemical disinfectants and preservatives.   

I’ve personally used copaiba oil in my trips through the Amazon for wound healing and skin infections of all kinds.  Many times when you need a quick remedy for a cut, blister, skin ulcer or boil, or skin parasite, it's easier to find a copaiba tree in the rainforest than it is a sangre de grado tree (my other mainstay wound healer and tropical topical infection remedy).  Sangre de grado will seal the wound quicker than copaiba will, but they both speed healing and protect against infections.  I think copaiba’s antiseptic and anti-infection actions are a bit stronger than sangre de grado’s, especially now, after reading some of the new antimicrobial research published on copaiba. 

While copaiba’s anti-fungal actions have been deemed “moderate” by researchers studying it, my personal experience with it has been quite good.  When one of my granddaughters turned 5 years old, she got a kitten and ringworm all in the same day.  I put a dab of straight undiluted copaiba oil on it and it dried up in less than 4 hours and was gone completely two days later.  Ringworm is a type of skin fungi copaiba has tested “moderately” active against.  I’ve also personally used it effectively for athlete foot and jock itch (for my son), nail fungus for other family and friends, and some kind of mysterious “jungle rot skin fungus” I came home with from an extended stay in the Amazon years ago. 

In addition to Rainforest Revive and Rainforest Body Butter, when I was formulating products for Raintree I used copaiba oil in the following products:

• Amazon N-Tense Topical for copaiba's anti-cancerous actions
• Amazon A-F Topical for copaiba's anti-fungal actions
• Amazon A-V Topical for copaiba's antimicrobial actions

So, here’s the scoop on choosing a copaiba oil product. . .  and there are lots available under many different labels these days.  If the copaiba oil you’re buying says it’s harvested in the Amazon area, what you will be most likely be buying is a combination of oils which have been harvested from Copaifera officinalis, Copaifera reticulata and Copaifera langsdorffii.  There are no copaiba plantations with just one species of tree neatly lined up and ready to tap out there in the jungle.  All three of these copaiba tree species are found all around the rainforest (sometimes living right next to one another!)   and they look very similar to one another. Local harvesters do not distinguish between the different species, they just go into the rainforest to tap “copaiba trees” for it’s oil and it all goes in the same bucket. The trees all look the same to them.   

These three species (as well as two other Copaifera trees found in drier regions outside the Amazon) are used interchangeably in South American and tribal herbal medicine systems.  The plant chemistry of these different species are very similar but slightly different.  While they have all the same plant chemicals, some species have larger amounts of sesquiterpene chemicals than others and some have greater amounts of diterpenes and terpenic acid chemicals (with less sesquiterpenes) than others.  This drives the drug company researchers crazy, since they have to quantify these active compounds in each sample they get since each sample is slightly different.  You also might note, when I write about the research on copaiba in my book or database, I reference research conducted and published on all  three species plus the two others for this reason. 

The other thing that might be confusing in choosing a product is that there are now two types of “Copaiba Oil” being marketed and sold today.   The first is just straight, filtered natural copaiba oil/resin that’s been around since Raintree first launched it in 1998. The second is much newer and  is a distilled essential oil extracted from copaiba oil/resin. Copaiba essential oils are largely composed of sesquiterpenoids, particularly β-caryophyllene. However, the resin is also composed of diterpene acids, and other chemicals which are responsible for many of the observed biological activities that don’t get extracted into the essential oil. Don't buy the essential oil product if you are looking for the benefits outlined in my book or database that are attributed to the diterpenes. All of the research I wrote about has been conducted on the whole natural oily resin with the exception of the one human study on acne which used the essential oil.  My personal opinion is that extracting out the essential oil in the resin leaves behind too many beneficial and active chemicals and personally, I’ll stick with the natural oil as nature made it. 

Like I said, there are lots of products to choose from. Look for a product that is a light golden color and about as thick as real maple syrup.  The older the resin, the thicker and darker it gets as it oxidizes (and loses potency).   Today, when I need copaiba oil, I personally buy this one.  Follow the below links to find many other copaiba products now available:

Copaiba oil at amazon.com
Copaiba oil at MyHerbs.net
Copaiba oil on eBay
Copaiba at VitaCost

You can also see videos posted on YouTube about copaiba here.

And now, I’m off to slap some copaiba oil on my wrinkles . . .     Enjoy reading!