The
timber is important, and oil is produced from the
seeds. The name
andiroba is from
Nheengatu nhandi rob, meaning "bitter oil".
Carapa guianensis produces an oil with similar uses to
neem oil. The oil contained in the almond andiroba is light yellow and extremely bitter. When subjected to a temperature below 25 °C, it solidifies producing a consistency like that of petroleum jelly. The oil contains
olein,
palmitic,
stearic and
linoleic acids. Andiroba oil is one of the most commonly used medicinal oils in the Amazon. It is also used to repel mosquitoes by forming an oilseed cake into balls and burned, or mixed with
annatto (
Bixa orellana) and formed into a paste applied topically to protect the body from mosquito bites. Andiroba oil is extracted from light brown seeds collected from beaches and rivers, where they float after being shed by the trees or from the forest ground. ==References==