Herpetofauna Used in Traditional Folk Medicine: Conservation Implications

Alves, Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega; Vieira, Washington Luiz Silva; Santana, Gindomar Gomes; Vieira, Kleber Silva; Montenegro, Paulo Fernando Guedes Pereira

doi:10.1007/978-3-642-29026-8_7

Cited by 41 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Indeed, the use in traditional medicines is the human practice that involves the highest diversity of reptile species in Brazil [17], some of which play important roles in traditional medicines, such as the “teju” (Tupinambis teguixin) and the boa snake (Boa constrictor) , which are one of the most used medicinal animals in Brazil [42, 43]. Curiously, there is a general aversion to consuming some reptile groups, such as snakes and lizards, in the country.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in Medicinal Uses of Edible Wild Vertebrates in Brazil

Alves

Oliveira

Medeiros

2017

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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The use of food medicines is a widespread practice worldwide. In Brazil, such use is often associated with wild animals, mostly focusing on vertebrate species. Here we assessed taxonomic and ecological trends in traditional uses of wild edible vertebrates in the country, through an extensive ethnobiological database analysis. Our results showed that at least 165 health conditions are reportedly treated by edible vertebrate species (n = 204), mostly fishes and mammals. However, reptiles stand out presenting a higher plasticity in the treatment of multiple health conditions. Considering the 20 disease categories recorded, treatment prescriptions were similar within continental (i.e., terrestrial and freshwater) and also within coastal and marine habitats, which may reflect locally related trends in occurrence and use of the medicinal fauna. The comprehension of the multiplicity and trends in the therapeutic uses of Brazilian vertebrates is of particular interest from a conservation perspective, as several threatened species were recorded.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Trends in Medicinal Uses of Edible Wild Vertebrates in Brazil

Alves

Oliveira

Medeiros

2017

Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine

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“…Humans have always used nature as a source of basic resources for survival, including treatments for infirmities, and human medical practices include the use of plants, animals, and minerals in the production of remedies [1]. Researchers have generally emphasized studies of medicinal plants, relegating medicinal animals a lower priority.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Traditional uses of medicinal animals in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil

Alves

Neta

Trovão

et al. 2012

J Ethnobiology Ethnomedicine

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The present work presents an inventory of the traditional medicinal uses of animals in the municipality of Bom Sucesso in Paraíba State (PB) in the semiarid northeastern region of Brazil. Information was obtained through the use of semi-structured interviews with 50 people who use zootherapeutic products. A total of 25 animal species used for medicinal purposes were identified (18 vertebrates and seven invertebrates) distributed among five taxonomic categories; the groups with the largest numbers of citations were: mammals (8 citations), insects (7), and reptiles (5). The most cited animal species were: Tubinambis merianae “teju” lizards (44 citations); Apis mellifera Italian honeybees (318 citations); Gallus gallus chickens (31 citations); Ovis aries sheep (31 citations); Crotalus durissus rattlesnakes (14 citations); Boa constrictor (12 citations); and Bos taurus cattle (12 citations). A significant number of illnesses and conditions treated with animal-based medicines were cited, and the category with the greatest number of citations was “problems affecting the respiratory system”. Our results suggest that the use of zootherapeutics in the region is persistent, and that knowledge about these curative practices is an integral part of the regional culture. As such, studies concerning the uses of zootherapeutics are important windows to understanding human/environmental/cultural interactions and a pathway to conciliating regional cultures with efforts to conserve the native fauna.

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“…Alves and Alves (2011) listed 584 animal species distributed among 13 distinct taxonomic categories being used for therapeutic purposes in Latin America. A total of 354 animal species have been recorded as being used in medicinal practices in Brazil, which demonstrates the importance of the regional fauna to traditional populations (Alves et al, 2013a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chemical identification and evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of fixed oil extracted fromRhinella jimi

Sales

Oliveira

Cabral

et al. 2014

Pharmaceutical Biology

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Objectives: The present work examined the antimicrobial actions of the extracted oils from the body fat of R. jimi (ORJ) against fungi and standard and multi-resistant lines of bacteria, as well as their effects when combined with aminoglycosides. Materials and methods: The toads were collected in the municipality of Exu in Pernambuco State, Brazil, and their body fat oils extracted in a Soxhlet apparatus using hexane. A gas chromatograph coupled to a mass spectrometer was used to identify the fatty acids, based on their methyl esters. The antimicrobial activities of the oil were analyzed against standard and multi-resistant lines of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, as well as against fungal lines of Candida albicans and Candida krusei using the broth microdilution method. Results: The minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of ORJ were 512 mg/mL for Candida krusei and !1024 mg/mL for the other microorganisms. When associated with amikacin, ORJ demonstrated an increase in its ability to inhibit E. coli growth (from 156.25 to 39.06 mg/mL), indicating synergistic interaction. In the same way, when allied with amikacin, gentamicin, and neomycin, the ORJ reduced the MICs meaningly, against P. aeruginosa. Conclusions: These data will enable searches to be made to obtain new products in combination with antibiotics, enhancing the efficacy of these drugs against drug-resistant microorganisms.

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Herpetofauna Used in Traditional Folk Medicine: Conservation Implications

Cited by 41 publications

References 63 publications

Trends in Medicinal Uses of Edible Wild Vertebrates in Brazil

Trends in Medicinal Uses of Edible Wild Vertebrates in Brazil

Traditional uses of medicinal animals in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil

Chemical identification and evaluation of the antimicrobial activity of fixed oil extracted fromRhinella jimi

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