The vernacular name copaíba probably originated from the Tupi-Guarani and alludes to the names used by indigenous peoples, copaíva and copahu (kupa’iwa and kupa’u, respectively), which refers to the tree exudate, in reference to the oil stored in its interior . Sixteenth-century records produced by chroniclers during the Brazilian colonization report the widespread use of copaiba oil among the natives as anti-inflammatory and healing agents, and also for esoteric purposes, such as aphrodisiac and contraceptive . This natural product is known and valued to the present day, mainly in the Amazon region, where the rural population has little access to industrialized pharmaceutical products and public health care .