Ethnopharmacological survey: a selection strategy to identify medicinal plants for a local phytotherapy program

Abstract

Ethnopharmacological studies are important for documenting and protecting cultural and traditional knowledge associated with the medical use of biodiversity. In this paper, we present a survey on medicinal plants used by locals in a community of Nova Viçosa, Viçosa, MG, Brazil, as a strategy to select medicinal plants for a phytotherapy-based local healthcare program. Eleven knowledgeable local informants were chosen by snowball sampling and interviewed about the use of medicinal plants. Plant samples were collected, herborised and then identified using traditional techniques and specialised literature. We sampled 107 medicinal plant species belonging to 86 genera and 39 families, predominantly Asteraceae with 16 species. Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw, M. pulegium L., Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Ruta graveolens L. were found to have Consensus of Main Use corrected (CMUc) values above 50%, which were in agreement with the traditional uses described by the informants. However, species with CMUc values equal to or above 20%, combined with the scientific information survey, were also used to select medicinal plants for the phytotherapy-based local healthcare program. The selection of medicinal plants based on the CMUc index from this particular community, in combination with the scientific survey, appears to be an effective strategy for the implementation of phytotherapy programs.Uniterms: Ethnopharmacology. Medicinal plants. Phytotherapy.Estudos etnofarmacológicos são importantes no registro e na preservação de conhecimentos de uma cultura tradicional associada ao uso medicinal da biodiversidade. No presente trabalho, foi realizado o levantamento das plantas medicinais utilizadas por conhecedores populares na comunidade de Nova Viçosa, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brasil, como ferramenta para auxiliar na seleção de espécies vegetais visando à implantação de um programa de fitoterapia local na comunidade estudada. Participaram 11 conhecedores escolhidos por amostragem Bola de Neve e submetidos a entrevistas semiestruturadas. Amostras dos espécimes foram coletadas, herborizadas e identificadas conforme metodologias usuais e literatura especializada. Foram amostradas 107 espécies medicinais pertencentes a 86 gêneros e 39 famílias botânicas, destacando-se Asteraceae com 16 espécies. Costus spicatus (Jacq.) Sw., Mentha pulegium L., Rosmarinus officinalis L. e Ruta graveolens L. apresentaram Consenso de Uso Principal corrigido (CUPc) superior a 50%, evidenciando consensos de uso popular entre os entrevistados. Espécies com CUPc igual ou superior a 20%, juntamente com o levantamento de informações em bases científicas, foram utilizadas para selecionar as espécies para o programa de fitoterapia local. A seleção de plantas medicinais, levando-se em consideração o índice de CUPc obtido de uma determinada comunidade aliado ao levantamento científico, mostra-se como estratégia a ser considerada na implantação de programas fitoterápicos.Unitermos: Etnofarmacologia. Plantas medicinais. Fitoterapia.

Medicinal plants for digestive disorders: Areview of ethnobotanical studies conducted in southern Brazil

“…The compiled species indicated for gastrointestinal dysfunctions were identified as members of 21 botanical families, with Asteraceae (n=16) as the most frequently cited, followed by Lamiaceae (n=12) and Myrtaceae (n=5). These results are in accordance with previous ethnobotanical studies conducted in others regions of Brazil (Sousa et al, 2010;Brito & Senna-Valle, 2011;Pereira et al, 2012;Gois et al, 2016). According to Gomes & Lima (2017), the predominant use of species from Asteraceae and Lamiaceae is probably because they adapt to both tropical and temperate environments.…”

Anatomical, phytochemical and histochemical study of Solidago chilensis Meyen

“…The popular use of S. chilensis is quite old and it is inscribed in the first edition of the Brazilian Pharmacopoeia (Brasil 1926). The leaves of this species have been used in traditional medicine for treatment of pain, inflammation, bruising, swelling and wounds (Di-Stasi et al 2002, Almeida et al 2009, Pereira et al 2012, Santos et al 2014. The main biological and pharmacological activities reported in the literature are attributed to the presence of flavonoids and diterpenes (Schmeda-Hirschmann et al 2002, Valverde et al 2012.…”

GC-MS Profiling, Invitro Antidiabetic, Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Activities of a Novel Polyherbal Formulation

“…[4] Ethnopharmacological studies are important for documenting and protecting cultural and traditional knowledge associated with the medical use of biodiversity. [5] This paper presents a survey on medicinal plants used by locals residents of Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, India. Ethnopharmacological data were compared with available scientific information on the medicinal plants' efficacy and toxicology used from specialized databases, such as PubMed and Science Direct.…”