## 4 Discussion  
Regarding the data obtained with ethanolic extractions, many factors can influence the obtaining of higher yields, including the part of the plant studied, the size of the particles, the chosen methodology, the solvent, the concentration used, the extraction time, and the extraction temperature [32]. Soxhlet extractions enable the complete exhaustion of the plant material in a period of approximately eight hours and, when ethyl alcohol is used as a solvent, both apolar and polar substances are extracted as it is an amphiphilic molecule [33]. This explains the higher yield obtained in extracts of cumaru seeds, considering that this part of the plant contains a high oil content imparting an oilier character to this extract. Extractions of leaves, branches, residues (separated into epicarp + mesocarp, and endocarp) and seeds of _Dipteryx odorata_ and _Dipteryx punctata_ have also been performed in a Soxhlet apparatus and, as in this study, the highest yields were obtained for extracts of fruit residues (epicarp + mesocarp) (44.1% and 54.2%) and for the seeds (48.9% and 44.5%) of the two species, respectively [10]. The yield of _Dipteryx odorata_ seed extractions also resulted in values as high as 46.5% [34]. The yields obtained from fruit residues are very important, as currently, this material serves only as organic matter in the growing areas, being discarded by farmers after collecting and pulping the fruits to extract the seeds [10; 21]. Area 3 stands out in terms of the yield obtained for fruit extracts and has a reduced number of cumaru trees. This characteristic can favor the development and production of trees, considering that each species requires specific characteristics of the environment, such as incidence of light, temperature, humidity, gravity, and wind speed [35], and the reproductive phenophases, especially the beginning of flowering, are largely influenced by the temporal variation in abiotic factors [36]. In addition, the greater spacing enhances the trees' ability to compete and exhibit greater treetop diameters [37]. Thus, designing the best spacing to be adopted in planting, with a view to good development [38], will favor the production of fruits for the commercialization of seeds, an important source of income for producers [21; 22]. In this context, studies are important to find out how management systems, spacing, intercropped species, and soil treatments can influence the physiology of these plants, leading to possible improvements in land use and increased production of biologically active natural compounds. As regards the classes of compounds evaluated by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), this technique helps in the process of choosing the mass/volume of solvent required, as well as the solvent systems that have more affinity with the evaluated samples, because in excess or if insufficient, the amount of extracted compounds can be significantly affected [39]. The class of terpen was identified in the ethanolic extracts of _D. punctata_. They have oxygenated functions such as alcohols, ethers, aldehydes, ketones, and lactones [40], and act in growth regulation, as phytoalexins and repellents against the action of herbivous insects [41]. Among the phenolic compounds, the study identified the classes of tannins, flavonoids, and coumarins. Tannins have the ability to bind to proteins, usually irreversibly, forming precipitates, and are involved in the protection of plants against attacks by invertebrate and vertebrate herbivores as they are characteristically asstringent and difficult to digest [42; 43]. Flavonoids have different forms and varied functions and the class includes flavones, flavanones, catechins, anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, and isoflavoids, among others. These substances have allelopathic effects and can inhibit the growth of plants and fungi [44; 45; 46]. Coumarins are primarily synthesized in leaves but occur at the highest levels in fruits, followed by the roots and stems.