Chontacuro (Rhynchophorus palmarum larvae) fatty acids and their potential medical applications against viral infections using bioinformatics tools

Abstract

Known in the Kichwa language originally as, Chontacuro; it is the larvae of the South American palm weevil, Rhynchophorus palmarum (Linnaeus, 1758). The oil extracted from these larvae of the black palm weevil, Rhynchophorus palmarum, is used by indigenous kichwa groups in the Ecuadorian Amazon to treat and cure respiratory diseases and skin diseases wounds, calling this ancestral practice as zootherapy. Based on the ethnopharmalogical knowledge obtained, the hypothesis is raised that the use of Rhynchophorus palmarum oil can control different types of diseases of viral origin. Therefore, an investigation of the life cycle of the larva of R. palmarum was carried out. As well as the chemical composition of the South American palm weevil. In addition, the pharmacological applications of the fatty acids identified in R. palmarum within the human body are described. Also, the role of the ACE2 enzyme is described, in the viral infection caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, this enzyme will be the protein used in the molecular coupling against each fatty acid described in the chontacuro. Finally, a molecular docking is proposed, to represent the potential antiviral properties of Rhynchophorus palmarum.