Medicinal use of the main Boldo Species in Brazil and in Lusophone Africa Countries

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants as an alternative source of treatment, prevention and cure of various diseases is a practice that comes with ancestry. Currently, the search for well-being and new forms of natural treatment without many chemicals, makes the demand for herbal medicines increase every day. Among these, we have the boldo, which has contributed to cure and alleviate some evil diseases such as: liver, poor digestion, stomach, and hemorrhoids. However, in Brazil, as well as in Portuguese-speaking African Countries - (PALOP) there is still a deficit or shortage in research involving this species. The objective of this work is to present a profile of the main boldo species and different forms of use in Brazil and in the PALOP countries (Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe) from the perspective of health and sustainability. To carry out the work, a narrative review of the literature was carried out with a descriptive character, through the selection, reading, analysis and interpretation of articles published in full in scientific journals, in Portuguese and in English, available on the internet. In the search for articles, the Boolean AND operator was used. To better obtain the results, it was necessary to use the following keywords: medicinal use, boldo, Brazil, sustainability and medicinal use, Lusophone African countries, PALOP and sustainability. The chosen platforms were SciELO, LILACS and Google and Academic. The use of the highest incidence of 01 species of boldo in Portuguese-speaking African countries, known as Boldo-Africano (Plectranthus barbatus), was identified. In Brazil, 08 species are cultivated, being used commercially the species Vernonia amygdalina, (Gymnanthemum amygdalinum), African Bilberry/Garden Bilberry (Plectranthus barbatus), Boldo possum (Plectranthus backpacks) and Chilean Boldo (Peumus boldus, Monimiaceae), the latter being imported. In Brazil, the health strategies of the Family Health Program - PSF contemplate another look at the needs of the communities assisted by the program, while in Lusophone Africa, the health systems have a small and poorly distributed chain of medicines that, for the most part, do not even arrive for a third of the population. The study points to the need to carry out more research on the subject, as the results of these research can be extremely important in the dissemination of the correct way of use and indication, which can contribute to the preservation of species and maintenance of the cultural legacy of biodiversity, knowledge base on the use of medicinal plants and herbal medicines, such as boldo.