RESUMO:O presente trabalho visou o levantamento etnobotânico das plantas medicinais, verificando a versatilidade das espécies utilizadas e o consenso de uso e/ou conhecimento entre os informantes, do Distrito de Aratama, no Município de Assaré, Ceará. As informações etnobotânicas foram obtidas através de entrevistas estruturadas e semi-estruturadas com os moradores locais. Foram citadas 116 espécies com fins medicinais pertencentes a 103 gêneros e 58 famílias com destaque para Fabaceae (10ssp.), Asteraceae (7spp.) e Lamiaceae (6spp.). Entre as espécies levantadas, Mentha spicata L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Allium sativum L., Bauhinia cheilantha (Bong.), Ximenea americana L., se destacaram como as mais versáteis dentro da comunidade. As indicações terapêuticas citadas foram agrupadas em 16 categorias de sistemas corporais, dos quais as Desordens mentais e comportamentais, as Afecções ou dores não definidas, os Transtornos do sistema respiratório, as Doenças de pele e do tecido celular subcutâneo, e os Transtornos do sistema sensorial (ouvidos), mostram maior concordância entre os informantes na utilização de espécies para tratar um sistema corporal especifico. Os resultados mostraram elevada riqueza da flora medicinal presente na caatinga. Neste sentido, torna-se necessária a intensificação de estudos que avaliem e consolidem as propriedades químicas e farmacológicas destas espécies.Palavras-chave: Etnobotânica, semiárido, Importância Relativa, Fator Consenso de Informantes.ABSTRACT: Therapeutic potential and use of medicinal plants in an area of the Caatinga in the state of Ceará, northeastern Brazil. This study is about an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants, checking the versatility of the species used and the consensus of use and/or knowledge among informants from the Aratama District, in the municipality of Assaré, state of Ceará, Brazil. The ethnobotanical information was obtained through structured interviews and semi-structured interviews with local residents. Approximately, 116 species were mentioned for medicinal purposes, belonging to 103 genera and 58 families, especially Fabaceae (10ssp.), Asteraceae (7spp.) and Lamiaceae (6spp.). Among the surveyed species, Mentha spicata L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Allium sativum L. and Bauhinia cheilantha (Bong.) Ximenea americana L. stood out as the most versatile in the community. The therapeutic indications mentioned were grouped into 16 categories of body systems; the mental and behavioral disorders, disorders or pain not defined, disorder of the respiratory system, skin diseases and subcutaneous tissue disorder, and disorder of the sensory system (ears) showed greater agreement among informants in the use of species to treat a specific body system. The results showed a high species richness of the medicinal flora present in the Brazilian Caatinga. Thus, it is necessary to intensify and consolidate studies assessing the chemical and pharmacological properties of these species.

Most of the species cited by the key informants are well known scientifically, but it is interesting that some have been studied little or not all with regard to confirming their purported medicinal properties and can contribute substantially to pharmacological and phytochemical investigations in the search for new drugs.

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Background:Cordia verbenacea is a Brazilian coastal shrub popularly known as “erva baleeira”. The essential oil from fresh leaves was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by CG/MS. The main components were identified as β-caryophyllene (25.4%), bicyclogermacrene (11.3%), δ-cadinene (9.%) and α-pinene (9.5%). In this study, the antimicrobial activity of Cordia verbenacea was evaluated.Materials and Methods:The minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of the essential oil was obtained using the broth microdilution assay (from 512 to 8 μg/ml).Results:The results showed that the essential oil presented fungistatic activity against Candida albicans and Candida krusei and antibacterial activity against Gram-positive strains (Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus) and against multiresistant Gram-negative (Escherichia coli 27), in all tests the MIC was 64 μg/ml. When the essential oil was associated to aminoglycosides (subinhibitory concentrations, MIC/8), a synergic and antagonic activity was verified. The synergic effect was observed to the amikacin association (MIC reduction from 256 mlto 64 μg/ml) in all strains tested.Conclusion:The essential oil of Cordia verbenacea influences the activity of antibiotics and may be used as an adjuvant in antibiotic therapy against respiratory tract bacterial pathogens.

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