Sampling problems in Brazilian research: a critical evaluation of studies on medicinal plants

Medeiros, Patrícia Muniz de; Ladio, Ana Haydeé; Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino

doi:10.1016/j.bjp.2014.01.010

Cited by 17 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 14 publications

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“…There has been a growth in quantitative research; however, there is a need for improvement in the publications and for more scientifically rigorous studies that include specific questions and hypotheses, to contribute to the advancement of ethnozoology in Brazil (Alves and Souto, 2011). In addition, these studies should be guided by logic and by the sample's adequacy (Medeiros et al, 2014). Although qualitative research has countless orientations and assumptions, quantitative research is directly associated with positivist logic.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although qualitative research has countless orientations and assumptions, quantitative research is directly associated with positivist logic. Moreover, the quality of sampling may be easily evaluated, as information tends to be generalized according to the interests of the researcher (Medeiros et al, 2014). In some instances, qualitative research requires the use of intentional sampling, as it guarantees that the researcher will obtain more precise information on the study theme (Marshall, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Evaluations of ethnobotanical studies have shown that sampling problems are associated with many of these studies, indicating that a large portion of intra-cultural diversity may not have actually been captured by these studies (Medeiros et al, 2014). Medeiros et al (2014) proposes different evaluation criteria, based on bias risk, to evaluate the published ethnobotany papers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Medeiros et al (2014) proposes different evaluation criteria, based on bias risk, to evaluate the published ethnobotany papers. A methodological element of the related field of ethnozoology is access to pesquisado.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ethnozoology in Brazil: analysis of the methodological risks in published studies

et al. 2015

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There has been a growth in the field of Ethnozoology throughout the years, especially in Brazil, where a considerable number of scientific articles pertaining to this subject has been published in recent decades. With this increase in publications comes the opportunity to assess the quality of these publications, as there are no known studies assessing the methodological risks in this area. Based on this observation, our objectives were to compile the papers published on the subject of ethnozoology and to answer the following questions: 1) Do the Brazilian ethnozoological studies use sound sampling methods?; 2) Is the sampling quality influenced by characteristics of the studies/publications? The studies found in databases and using web search engines were compiled to answer these questions. The studies were assessed based on their nature, sampling methods, use of hypotheses and tests, journal's impact factor, and animal group studied. The majority of the studies analyzed exhibited problems associated with the samples, as 144 (66.98%) studies were classified as having a high risk of bias. With regard to the characteristics analyzed, we determined that a quantitative nature and the use of tests are essential components of good sampling. Most studies classified as moderate and low risk either did not provide these data or provided data that were not clear; therefore, these studies were classified as being of a quali-quantitative nature. Studies performed with vertebrate groups were of high risk. Most of the papers analyzed here focused on fish, insects, and/or mollusks, thus highlighting the difficulties associated with conducting interviews regarding tetrapod vertebrates. Such difficulties are largely related to the extremely strict Brazilian laws, justified by the decline and extinction of some species, related to the use of wild tetrapod vertebrates.Keywords: scientometry, Ethnobiology, Ethnoecology, methodological biases. Etnozoologia no Brasil: análise de riscos metodológicos nos trabalhos publicados ResumoAo longo dos anos a Etnozoologia vem crescendo, principalmente no Brasil, no qual se observa um expressivo número de publicações científicas nas últimas décadas. Com isto abriu-se a oportunidade para avaliar a qualidade das publicações, já que não existem pesquisas que avaliem os riscos metodológicos na área. Partindo desta premissa objetivamos compilar os artigos publicados na área e responder as seguintes questões: os trabalhos etnozoológicos brasileiros possuem boa qualidade amostral? A qualidade amostral é influenciada por características dos estudos/publicações? Para responder tais perguntas foi realizado levantamento das publicações em bases de dados e sites de busca. As características avaliadas foram relacionadas à natureza, amostragem, uso de hipóteses e testes, fator de impacto do periódico e grupo animalBraz.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Ethnozoology in Brazil: analysis of the methodological risks in published studies

et al. 2015

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“…Studies of medicinal plants are also of fundamental importance since many of them have a strictly local use and may offer an alternative treatment for various diseases. The popularization of medicinal plants has made them easier to acquire; however, there remains a lack of adequate information about the properties of the plants used and their possible interactions with prescribed drugs, as well as problems in botanical identification, and ignorance in terms of possible side effects (Mashwani et al¸ 2015;Medeiros, Ladio, Albuquerque, 2015). Technological advances in healthcare as a whole, and, in particular the wide range of treatments and drugs available, have not meant the end of the use of medicinal plants as a therapeutic alternative for a large part of the population.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Preliminary in vitro assessment of the potential toxicity and antioxidant activity of Ceiba speciosa (A. St.-Hill) Ravenna (Paineira)

Malheiros

Silva

Hofmann

et al. 2017

Braz. J. Pharm. Sci.

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The bark tea of Ceiba speciosa, a tropical tree of the Malvaceae family, is used in the Northwestern Region of Rio Grande do Sul state, Brazil, to reduce blood cholesterol levels. However, there are no scientific data on the efficacy and safety of this plant. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro antioxidant and toxic potential of bark extracts of C. speciosa. We performed a preliminary phytochemical analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) and evaluated the oxidative damage to proteins and lipids, the radical scavenging effect, and genotoxicity of the lyophilized aqueous extract (LAECs) and the precipitate obtained from the raw ethanol extract (Cs1). The phytochemical profile demonstrated the presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds. The LAECs and Cs1 prevented damage to lipids and proteins at concentrations of 50 and 10 µg/mL. They also showed a scavenging effect on 2,2-diphenyl-1-pricril-hydrazyl (DPPH) radicals in a concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, no genotoxic effect was observed at concentrations of 10, 5 and 2 µg/mL in the Comet assay. The present study is the first evaluation regarding the characterization of C. speciosa and its safety, and the results demonstrate its antioxidant potential and suggest that its therapeutic use may be relatively safe.Uniterms: Ceiba speciose/phytochemistry. Ceiba speciose/antioxidant activity. Phenolic content. Comet assay. DPPH scavenging capacity. Natural medicine. Safety.

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The most commonly available woody plant species are the most useful for human populations: a meta‐analysis

Gonçalves

Albuquerque

Medeiros

2016

Ecological Applications

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An increasing number of studies have aimed to clarify the factors leading human groups to prioritize the use of some woody plant species compared to others. Some of these studies have tested the apparency hypothesis in aiming to understand this phenomenon. According to the apparency hypothesis, the most commonly available local plant species on a forest path are the most useful to that local human population. However, the sparse and diverse nature of the results from studies investigating the factors that influence human exploitation of plant resources motivated us to perform a meta-analysis on the apparency hypothesis. We searched in the main databases (Scopus, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and Scielo) for studies that correlated the environmental availability of woody species (estimated through vegetation parameters) with the degree of importance of such species to the local human population (estimated by means of the use value index). Overall, this meta-analysis supported the apparency hypothesis, although we also found high levels of heterogeneity in these studies. When the distinct uses of woody flora were considered separately, we found that local species availability is important for fuelwood (firewood and charcoal) and construction (houses, fences, etc.) purposes but does not explain medicinal and technological (object manufacture) plant use. We found no important differences in correlation values between the degree of species importance for people and the different vegetation parameters, although correlations are slightly higher for the dominance and importance value index. Our findings suggest that the exploitation of woody flora is influenced by local availability.

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Sampling problems in Brazilian research: a critical evaluation of studies on medicinal plants

Cited by 17 publications

References 14 publications

Ethnozoology in Brazil: analysis of the methodological risks in published studies

Ethnozoology in Brazil: analysis of the methodological risks in published studies

Preliminary in vitro assessment of the potential toxicity and antioxidant activity of Ceiba speciosa (A. St.-Hill) Ravenna (Paineira)

The most commonly available woody plant species are the most useful for human populations: a meta‐analysis

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