Medicinal plants popularly used in the Xingó region - a semi-arid location in Northeastern Brazil (original) (raw)
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Medicinal plants popularly used in the Xing� region � a semi-arid location in Northeastern Brazil
J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine, 2006
The aim of this study was to identify plant species among the diverse flora of the caatinga ecosystem that are used therapeutically. Research was undertaken in the municipalities of Piranhas and Delmiro Gouveia, in the Xingó region (state of Alagoas, NE Brazil). In order to identify the medicinal plants used in this region, semi-structured questionnaires were applied. The species cited were collected and sent to the Xingó Herbarium for taxonomic analysis. The relative importance (RI) of each species cited was calculated to verify their cultural importance. The therapeutic indications attributed to the species were classified under 16 body systems. A total of 187 medicinal species were cited, from 64 families and 128 genera. The main indications for medicinal plant use were against common colds, bronchitis, cardiovascular problems, kidney problems, inflammations in general, and as tranquilizers. Approximately 16% (30 plant species) were versatile in relation to their use, with an Relative Importance value over 1, having been indicated for up to nine body systems. The body systems that stood out the most were: the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal system, and infectious diseases. Most cited plant parts used for medicinal purposes were flowers, leaves, and inner stem bark.
Medicinal plants of the caatinga (semi-arid) vegetation of NE Brazil: A quantitative approach
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2007
The caatinga (semi-arid vegetation) is a Brazilian biome with a significant but poorly studied biodiversity closely associated with a diverse cultural heritage. The present work focused on analyzing published information available concerning medicinal plants used by traditional communities. We sought to contribute to future phytochemical and pharmacological investigations by documenting the therapeutic uses of native caatinga plants within the aims of modern ethnopharmacological research. Twenty-one published works cited a total of 389 plant species used by indigenous and rural communities in northeastern Brazil for medicinal purposes. The relative importance index (RI) of each species in these inventories was calculated, and information concerning the plant's local status (spontaneous or cultivated), distribution, and habit was recorded. Of the 275 spontaneous (non-cultivated) species cited, 15.3% were endemic to the caatinga. A statistical relationship was verified between the relative importance of the species and their endemic status (p < 0.05). Herbaceous plants were more numerous (169) than trees (90) or shrubs and sub-shrubs (130) at a statistically significant level (p < 0.05). A survey of published information on the phytochemical and pharmacological status of the plants demonstrating the highest RI supported the veracity of their attributed folk uses.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2019
Ethnopharmacological importance: The Caatinga (semi-arid region), is an exclusively Brazilian biome. Considering the scarcity of ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological studies in this region before the year 2000, this study presents data from ethnobotanical expeditions carried out between 1980 and 1990, by the late professor Francisco José de Abreu Matos (1924-2008). The information revealed in this present work are valuable and remained unpublished until now. Materials and Methods: The objective was to organize, systematize and analyze ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological data using ethnobotanical analytical techniques. The most cited native species in each use category were selected for literature review of the pharmacological studies related to their ethnomedicinal uses. Results: Revision of the botanical nomenclature led to the botanical confirmation of 272 plants, of which 84 (30.9%) were reclassified. These represented 71 families and 220 genera that were cited 1,957 times. 153 (56.3%) of these plant species are native to Brazil, of which 36 (23.4%) are endemic to the Caatinga. The use reports (RU)
Knowledge and use of medicinal plants in the Semiarid Region of Brazil
This study aimed to record the knowledge and use of medicinal species in the Semiarid Region of Paraíba, Northeast Brazil. Interviews were conducted with 100% of homeowners (men and women). We calculated the Relative Importance Index (RI) to determine local most important species. We recorded 45 species, 41 genera and 20 families. The most representative families were Fabaceae (12 spp.), Euphorbiaceae (5 spp.) and Anacardiaceae (4 ssp.). Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão and Syderoxylum obtusifolium (Roem & Schult.) T. D. Penn. were the most prominent species. There were 17 medicinal plants that showed great versatility in their use of RI > 1. There was predominance for treatment of respiratory system disorders, undefined diseases or undefined pain, digestive and genitourinary system disorders, and general inflammation and cicatrizing the two most cited diseases. The bark was the most used part with 1,399 use citations, and sauce was the main method of preparation (586 citations). This study demonstrated a greater use of two endangered species in the Caatinga, revealing conservation concerns.
Journal of Medicinal Plants Research, 2016
Knowledge of medicinal plants has accumulated over centuries and often represents the only therapeutic resource of small municipalities in the interior of Brazil. The objective of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and use of medicinal plants by the population of the municipality of Bom Principio do Piaui, Piaui state, for the treatment of diseases in humans and domestic animals. Interviews were conducted with 38 residents using standardized questionnaire forms, with the "snowball" technique. Fifty nine families, 98 genera and 112 species were recorded. Of these, 22.3% were indicated for the treatment of diseases in animals and 9.8% were said to cause adverse effects. The families with most species were Fabaceae (14), Euphorbiaceae (11) and Lamiaceae (6). The species with greatest use value (UV) were Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemao (0.65), Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin and Clemants (0.63) and Amburana cearensis (Allemao) A.C.Sm. (0.42). The leaves were the part...
RESUMO: "Estudo Etnofarmacológico de Plantas Medicinais utilizadas em Rosário da Limeira, Minas Gerais, Brasil". Em virtude da importância do saber popular na utilização de plantas medicinais e da contribuição desse saber na preservação da flora medicinal, o trabalho atual tem o objetivo de resgatar e sistematizar o conhecimento popular de espécies medicinais e sua relação com usos terapêuticos, em Rosário de Limeira, MG. Os dados foram coletados entre janeiro e março de 2007. Quinze informantes foram entrevistados sobre seus conhecimentos das espécies medicinais, residentes nas comunidades rurais e nos bairros do município. A pesquisa revelou o uso de 66 espécies pertencentes a 33 famílias (Asteraceae com o maior número de espécies, seguido por Lamiaceae, Rutaceae e Bignoniaceae) usadas no tratamento de várias patologias. Das espécies medicinais citadas, 44,3% crescem espontaneamente e 55,7% são cultivadas. A principal parte vegetal usada na preparação dos fitoterápicos é a folha e a preparação mais comum é a infusão. As espécies mais usadas são: Baccharis trimera, Mentha sp., Plantago major, Chenopodium ambrosioides e Symphytum officinale.
Medicinal plants with bioprospecting potential used in semi-arid northeastern Brazil
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2010
Objectives: Many species of the Caatinga flora are used as medicines in local communities. In recent decades, the knowledge and use of these species has been expanding within this region. We attempted to record the local diversity of medicinal plants used to treat various diseases in a rural community in the state of Ceará, Brazil, and to evaluate the promising medicinal species for bioprospecting studies. Methods: An ethnobotanical survey was conducted using free list and semi-structured interviews. To indicate medicinal plants that stood out, the relative importance (RI) of species mentioned by key-informants (20), by general informants in the community (71) and by all informants , was analyzed. The group of species that stood out for human body systems based on the informant consensus factor (ICF) was also evaluated.
Ethnopharmacological importance: The use of medicinal plants for treatment, cure and prevention of diseases has been described by many people since time immemorial. Because of this use, commercial and scientific interests have emerged, making it necessary to realize ethnobotanical surveys of medicinal plants species, which is important for subsequent chemical and pharmacological bioprospections. Aim of the study: This study aimed at surveying, identifying, cataloging and documenting the medicinal plants species used in the Valley of Juruena, Northwestern Mato Grosso, Legal Amazon Brazil for the treatment of various human diseases, as well as assessed the species of interest for bioprospecting potential. Materials and methods: Informants were interviewed using semi-structured form to capture information on socio-demographic and ethnopharmacological data of medicinal plants such as vernacular name, uses, geographic origin, habit, form of preparation and part used. Results were analyzed using descriptive and quantitative means: indices of use-report (Ur) and informant consensus factor (ICF), for the selection of plant species with therapeutic potential. Results: Three hundred and thirty two plants species belonging to 90 families were reported for medicinal purposes and totaling 3973 use-reports were reported by 365 (92.9%) of the people interviewed. Asteraceae (32.2%), Fabaceae (26.7%) and Lamiaceae (24.4%) families were the most represented, with majority being species native (64.45%) to Brazil. Leaves (64.5%) were the part of the plant most used and infusion (45.7%) was the most utilized form. Gastrointestinal disorders followed by respiratory complaints topped the list of use-reports. The native or naturalized plants with the highest use reports in the order of decreasing absolute frequency per each emic-category are Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapfc (104), Mentha pulegium L. (94), Arrabidaea chica (Humb. & Bonpl.) B. Verl. (97), Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze (71), Baccharis crispa Spreng (57), Phyllanthus niruri L. (48), Gossypium barbadense L. (44), Solidago microglossa DC. (40) and Bauhinia forficata L. (20). And the most cited exotics are: Chenopodium ambrosioides L. (151), Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f., (89) and Rosmarinus officinalis L. (72). In some cases, high ICF values were found, which reflects high degree of homogeneity of consensus among informants in this region on medicinal plants. Conclusion: The population of Valle of Juruena makes use of a wide array of medicinal plants distributed in all use categories with predominance of those use in the treatments of gastrointestinal and respiratory Contents lists available at ScienceDirect
Ethnopharmacology of Medicinal Plants of the Pantanal Region (Mato Grosso, Brazil)
Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2012
Traditional knowledge is an important source of obtaining new phytotherapeutic agents. Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants was conducted in Nossa Senhora Aparecida do Chumbo District (NSACD), located in Poconé, Mato Grosso, Brazil using semi-structured questionnaires and interviews. 376 species of medicinal plants belonging to 285 genera and 102 families were cited. Fabaceae (10.2%), Asteraceae (7.82%) and Lamaceae (4.89%) families are of greater importance. Species with the greater relative importance wereHimatanthus obovatus(1.87),Hibiscus sabdariffa(1.87),Solidago microglossa(1.80),Strychnos pseudoquina(1.73) andDorstenia brasiliensis,Scoparia dulcisL., andLuehea divaricata(1.50). The informant consensus factor (ICF) ranged from 0.13 to 0.78 encompassing 18 disease categories,of which 15 had ICF greater than 0.50, with a predominance of disease categories related to injuries, poisoning and certain other consequences of external causes (ICF = 0.78) having 65 species cited ...
Survey of medicinal plants used in the region Northeast of Brazil
Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia, 2008
RESUMO: "Levantamento das plantas medicinais usadas na região Nordeste do Brasil". Este trabalho teve como objetivo um levantamento das plantas e dos seus usos como medicinais, as quais são utilizadas com fi ns terapêuticos na região Nordeste do Brasil. A área de estudo é reconhecida por uma rica biodiversidade, principalmente de plantas e de hábitats, abrangendo desde a Floresta Amazônica, Floresta Atlântica, sistemas de mangues e dunas costeiras, até fl orestas secas e savanas. Como resultados, foram registrados um total de 650 espécies pertencentes a 407 gêneros e 111 famílias, e suas informações etnomedicinais. A diversidade fl orística é dominada por vegetais superiores e apenas cinco espécies das famílias Aspleniaceae, Cyatheaceae, Equisetaceae, Polypodiaceae e Selaginellaceae pertencem ao grupo das Pteridófi tas, que corresconde a menos que 1% do total das espécies registradas. Este estudo sugere a grande importância da investigação das espécies farmacologicamente ainda não estudadas, uma vez que seus usos populares estão registrados.