## 4 Discussion
It is also interesting to note that the potential presented by the residue extract drives the advancement of new studies and makes it possible to expand the destinations of this raw material discarded in the environment, such as its use for the extraction of bio-oil, coumarin, production of flours and fermented beverages (food and nutritional security), future development of pharmacological products, alternative products for use in controlling plant diseases (organic and agroecological production), and consequent contribution to the appreciation of family farming (production chain). Analysis of the extracts of the leaves of \(D\). _punctata_, by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) verified the presence of fatty acid esters. It is worth mentioning the presence of fatty acids in biodiesel obtained from oilseeds such as soybeans, sunflower, canola, palm, and peanuts, with the commonest being those derived from palmitic acid (hexadecanoic acid) and stearic acid (octadecanoic acid). Examples are the ethyl ester of octadecanoic acid (ethyl stearate, ethyl stearate or stearic acid ester), oleic acid (cis9-octadecenoic), linoleic acid (cis-9, cis-12-octadecenoic), and linoleic acid (cis, cis, cis-9,12,15-octadecatrienoic) [58]. Palmitic acid (n-hexadecanoic acid), indicated as a marker due to its presence in the leaf extract of all areas and with percentages above 5% in area 3, is a natural fatty acid found in various oils such as olive oil. It is used in the food industry as a dietary supplement and an agent in dairy products [59]. Phytol, also a marker in the extracts from the leaves of _D. punctata_, is one of the precursors for the synthesis of different lipids in the chloroplast, and its conversion into phytol esters of fatty acid (FAPEs), which accumulate in the plastoglobules of the chloroplasts, may occur during stress [60; 61]. Among the terpenes, lupane-type triterpenoids such as lup-20(29)-en-3-one (lupenone) and lupeol [21] have also been identified in leaf extracts of plants of the families Asteraceae, Balanophoraceae, Cactaceae, Iridaceae, Musaceae, Uricaceae, Leguminosae, Bombacaceae, etc. Pharmacologically, lupenone stands out for its anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and anti-cancer activities and as an attenuator of Chagas' disease [62]. Lupeol, a major constituent in all collection areas, also has anti-inflammatory activity [63], as well as anti-arthritis [64] and anti-leishmania action [65]. For the ethanolic extracts of _D. punctata_ branches, hydrocoumarin, and lupeol (the major constituent in areas 1, 4, and 5) were identified as markers. The class of coumarins to which hydrocoumarin belongs (3,4-dihydro-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one or 3,4-dihydrocomumarin) was detected by TLC in the extracts of the branches, and also as simple coumarin (1,2-benzopyrone). This compound is used in comments, beverages, gelatins, puddings, perfumes, and cosmetics [66]. 4-O-methylmannose was the major constituent in areas 2 and 3; it belongs to the mannan class (polymer of hexoses), which constitutes hemicellulose [67]. Hemicellulose is a heteropolysaccharide common in nature, part of the chemical composition of wood, capable of forming covalent bonds with lignin molecules and hydrogen bonds with cellulose molecules, constituting the lignocellulosic complex and promoting its stability and flexibility [68]. Other compounds such as stigmasterol and \(\gamma\)-sitosterol were identified in the extracts of the branches obtained in all collection areas, except for area 3. Phytosterols are particularly abundant in the plant kingdom, present in fruits, seeds, leaves, and stems [69; 70], and, albeit structurally similar to cholesterol, they help to reduce its absorption, thus having anti-inflammatory and antitumor properties [69] in addition to preventing and helping in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases [70; 71]. In the extracts of _D.