Insights into the search for new drugs from traditional knowledge: An ethnobotanical and chemical–ecological perspective

Abstract

It was concluded that the plant apparency hypothesis does not adequately explain the selection of medicinal plants in the two environments studied. Our findings highlight some important implications for bioprospecting that need to be further tested experimentally, and through systematic studies, in different regions.

Patterns of medicinal plant use by inhabitants of Brazilian urban and rural areas: A macroscale investigation based on available literature

“…These results have also been found in other studies for the ecosystem (Alencar et al, 2009;Almeida et al, 2005). With regard to the Atlantic Forest, Almeida et al (2011) found no difference in the occurrence of qualitative compounds among habits. Considering the possibility that qualitative compounds possess greater medical potential, these chemical findings explain the fact that among the native species in the Caatinga, the woody habit predominates, and in the Atlantic Forest, there are no strong differences among the prevalent habits.…”

“…Chemical analyses from some recent studies may help explain the results of this study. Almeida et al (2011), for example, compared the medicinal use and chemical properties of Caatinga and Atlantic Forest plant species and found, contrary to the apparency hypothesis predictions, that for Caatinga plants, there was an increased presence of some qualitative compounds in trees compared to herbs. These results have also been found in other studies for the ecosystem (Alencar et al, 2009;Almeida et al, 2005).…”

The Ethnopharmacologic Contribution to Bioprospecting Natural Products

“…A majority of the world's population relies on traditional medicine for their health care (9), and practitioners of these traditional medicines use natural products as therapeutic tools (10). Recent studies suggest that the historic ethnopharmacologic uses of plant-based medicines as a preliminary screening tactic are beneficial in the identification of bioactive compounds (11)(12)(13)(14). The historic trial and error-based use of botanicals and other biomaterials in a traditional medical system (Figure 1) can hypothetically provide important data regarding the biologic activity of compounds in the traditional medicines (Figure 2).…”

How does bitter taste guide the utilization of medicinal plants in the semiarid region of Brazil?

“…Many pieces of evidence have indicated that medicinal plants from semiarid regions of Brazil, such as the Caatinga, prioritize the production of phenolic compounds, especially tannins (Albuquerque et al 2012, Almeida et al 2005, Almeida et al 2011, Siqueira et al 2012. This can be explained by the region's typical conditions, as the synthesis of phenolic compounds is favored there (Zahedi et al 2021).…”