The use of medicinal plants by the Yanomami Indians of Brazil (original) (raw)
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Medical plants: from Colonial Brazil to their indication by the National Single Health System – SHS
AI Publication, 2019
Traditional knowledge of medicinal plants contextualizes the history of humanity. Thus, this research aims to analyze the use of medicinal plants in Brazil, addressing the historical aspects, the regulatory framework, and the prospects of proof and indication by SHS. Human kind has always used medicinal plants, described 60,000 years ago B.C. and 5,000 years ago B.C. by Chinese medicine. In Brazil, due to the wide biological diversity of fauna, flora, and traditional communities, it is a historical representation of human interaction with ecosystems. Some naturalists who have traveled throughout Brazil during the Colonial and Imperial periods, resulting in works such as Natural History of Brazil and Nature, Diseases, Medicine and Remedies of Brazilian Indians, have described the reports on the use of plants. The field diaries and drawings produced by the travelers were essential for the development of research. Only in the twentieth century it was possible to perform more complex pharmacological tests, and the regulatory framework governing the production, use, and regularization of medicinal plants was subsequently approved, as well as in the National Program of Medicinal Plants and Phytotherapies, phytotherapeutic drugs were inserted into the treatment of diseases of the Single Health System. The interculturation of traditional knowledge by the different cultures that make up Brazil is a unique factor in the dissemination of phytotherapy present in the national floristic diversity.
The singularity of the medicinal knowledge of the Huni Kuĩ people from the western Brazilian Amazon
Ethnobotany Research and Applications
Background: Studies that aim to analyze the transcultural traditional knowledge from different countries still in their infancy but are essential to favor an equal and fair division of the benefits resulting from the exploration of genetic resources and to develop sustainable strategies for conservation. The goal of this research is to compare the traditional knowledge about medicinal plants by the Huni Kuĩ people with the knowledge from other cultures, in order to assess the singularity of the Huni Kuĩ knowledge and to identify the convergence in medicinal plants use with other cultures. Methods: We did a literature review for 83 plant species and compiled all traditional knowledge available on the Scielo PubMed and Google Scholar. We searched for the scientific name of each species and its synonyms (382) plus the words "ethnobotany", "ethnobotanical" or "medicinal" as inclusion criteria. Results: We found 625 papers for 54 plants. About 73% of the medicinal services found for these species were considered, and 90% of all medicinal services cited were from the Huni Kuĩ people. The other 10% (20 species) were shared with other communities. Most of the research was conducted in the Brazilian Amazon, but also in the other countries. Conclusion: Our results show the singularity of the Huni Kuĩ knowledge and the complexity in the distribution of traditional knowledge, which highlights the importance of projects that document the traditional knowledge, in order to create new conservation strategies and public policies.
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2018
This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting galley proof before it is published in its final citable form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. www.elsevier.com/locate/jep Medicines in the forest: ethnobotany of wild medicinal plants in the pharmacopeia of the Wichí people of Salta province (Argentina).
Interações (Campo Grande), 2020
Plants have been widely used to treat many diseases, especially by traditional communities as Indians, that can be considered as an important source of empirical knowledge about the medicinal potential of the Brazilian biodiversity. This study aimed to investigate the use of medicinal plants by a particular Amazon-Indian community named Ikólóéhj (Gavião). The data was obtained based on a semi-structured interview and long-term visits along the indigenous area to harvest the botanical material to subsequent identification and storage in herbarium. In the present work, we identify 23 plant species and three morphospecies, distributed into Ferns / Lycophytes and Angiosperms. In addition, we show that leaves (78%), bark (13%) and roots (9%) were used via maceration (49%), topical use (26%), infusion and bath (13%), and decoction (9%). These plants were used to treat pain, diarrhea, malnutrition, parasites infection, wounds, and snakebites. We also observe that the knowledge about medici...
Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2015
Ethnopharmacological relevance: Atlantic Forest is a biome in dangerous situation and it lacks wider information on species with medicinal purposes used by people in this area. In this study an ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Apiúna district, Brazil with the goal of assessing traditional knowledge of medicinal plants used by rural communities in a region covered by Atlantic Forest. Materials and methods: The ethnobotanical data were collected through semi-structured interviews and a free list of plants used for medicinal purposes. The respondents were selected by snow ball method. Therefore, the therapeutic use of plants was investigated and the species cited was collected and identified. Local plant uses were evaluated using ethnobotanical indices of diversity and equitability, and then compared with those obtained in other regions of Atlantic Forest in Brazil. Besides, the informant consensus factor (ICF) was calculated. Results: A total of 162 species belonging to 61 families were recorded, mainly Asteraceae and Lamiaceae. Furthermore, the species cited, 45.06% were native and 54.94% were considered exotic. The most frequently reported medicinal uses were the symptoms and signs (17.42%), digestive system (15.33%) and, infectious and parasitic diseases (12.73%). Although, the ICF calculation showed that mental and behavioral (0.85), respiratory system (0.79) and, digestive and genitourinary system diseases (0.78 for both) were the categories with higher values reached. Usually, the administration is oral from leaves preparations. Conclusions: Folk medicine in rural communities in this region of Atlantic Forest is an important source of primary health care. The results indicate an available knowledge of medicinal plants uses in this area, when compared to other regions previously studied. The fact that this research was conducted next to a conservation area makes it possible to dispose the knowledge organized here into a tool for environmental education as well as preservation. Moreover, the pharmacological information will further contribute for the validation and the use of these species in Brazilian health programs benefiting the population.
Folk informants on medicinal plants and…
Objectives: to identify the folk informants and characterize the therapeutic practices in health care through medicinal plants. Method: this is a qualitative, descriptive, and exploratory study. The subjects were 3 female farmers indicated as great connoisseurs of medicinal plants in a rural community in a town in the South Brazilian region. Data collection took place in July and August 2011, by using a semi-structured interview (recorded), systematically observing and photographing medicinal plants, preparing a genogram and an eco-map of families, and georeferencing the interviews' location. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of the School of Medicine of Universidade Federal Pelotas, under the Opinion 072/2007. Results: the women interviewed showed a great knowledge on the theme, citing 116 medicinal plants used in health care, and this knowledge was mainly acquired in the family environment. Conclusion: information reinforces the need that the nurse works from the integral care perspective, respecting the differences and the social context of people. Descriptors: Medicinal Plants; Rural Health; Nursing. RESUMO Objetivos: identificar os informantes folk e caracterizar as práticas terapêuticas no cuidado à saúde por meio de plantas medicinais. Método: trata-se de estudo qualitativo, descritivo e exploratório. Os sujeitos foram 3 agricultoras indicadas como grandes conhecedoras de plantas medicinais em uma comunidade rural de um município da região Sul do Brasil. A coleta de dados ocorreu em julho e agosto de 2011, com utilização de entrevista semiestruturada (gravada), observação sistemática e fotografia das plantas medicinais, elaboração de genograma e ecomapa das famílias e o georreferenciamento dos locais das entrevistas. O estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa da Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal de Pelotas, sob o Parecer n. 072/2007. Resultados: as entrevistadas apresentaram grande conhecimento sobre o tema, citando 116 plantas medicinais utilizadas no cuidado à saúde, e esse saber foi adquirido, principalmente, no ambiente familiar. Conclusão: as informações reforçam a necessidade de o enfermeiro trabalhar sob a perspectiva do cuidado integral, respeitando as diferenças e o contexto social das pessoas. Descritores: Plantas Medicinais; Saúde da População Rural; Enfermagem.
Ethnopharmacological study of medicinal plants used in Rosário da Limeira, Minas Gerais, Brazil
Revista Brasileira de Farmacognosia, 2010
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 are widely used as home remedies both by rural and urban inhabitants of Brazil but the intermixing of cultures has led to introduction of several exotic species into popular medicine. The continuous destruction of botanically rich native ecosystems has also contributed to a gradual loss of knowledge about native medicinal plants. In this study, we have gathered information about the actual use of native species in three municipalities along the Royal Road, visited by European naturalists in the 19 th century. Local informers (one woman and nine men, ages ranging from 60 to 95 years old) were interviewed about their native medicinal plant knowledge. A total of 69 native species were recommended for use by the informers within the studied area, 36 (52%) had been previously observed by the European naturalists but only 17 (24.6%) are used now for the same purpose as they had been in the past.