Seeds contain large amounts (40% of dry weight) of a highly viscous polysaccharide (xyloglucan) which can be used in several industrial sectors such as food, paper, cosmetic and pharmaceutical.

[3] Hymenaea courbaril has been used as a model organism to study the effect of increased CO2 concentration on the rate of photosynthesis in neotropical regions.

[4]: 3  This suggests the species could play an important role in greenhouse gas sequestration, as atmospheric CO2 is expected to reach ca.

[5] Hymenaea courbaril is a very important species in programmes of recuperation of degraded rain forests in the Neotropics.

[citation needed] It appears late in the natural regeneration process being classified as a 'late successional' or climax species.