Ethnobotanical Survey and Identification of Potential Interactions of Plants Used in a City in Northeastern Brazil

ABSTRACT The study of medicinal plants reveals locally important plant species often useful for the discovery of new drugs. The objective of this research was to conduct an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by the population of the Imperatriz city, State of Maranhão, Northeastern Brazil. Two hundred and five interviews were conducted, resulting in the collection of 60 plant species from 31 plant families. The highest number of species belongs to Fabaceae, followed by Lamiaceae, Asteraceae and Euphorbiaceae. The most reported species were Chenopodium ambrosioides, Myracrodruon urundeuva, Lippia alba, and Plectranthus barbatus. The main plant parts used were leaves (63.3%), bark (16.7%), fruits (6.7%), roots (6.7%), seeds (3.3), stems (1.7%) and latex (1.7%). Major administration routes were by oral (81.7%) or nasal via (1.6%) and topical application (16.7%) The plants were used to mitigate various health problems including pain, asthma, hypertension, gastritis, inflammation, influenza, and tuberculosis. The collected data shows that local population uses medicinal plants for treatment of several diseases and this study can serve as a basis for future chemical and pharmacological investigation, which can lead to the discovery of new therapeutic agents.

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Levels of Tannins and Flavonoids in Medicinal Plants: Evaluating Bioprospecting Strategies

Evidence-based Complementary and Alternative Medicine ◽

10.1155/2012/434782 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-7 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Clarissa Fernanda de Queiroz Siqueira ◽

Daniela Lyra Vasconcelos Cabral ◽

Tadeu José da Silva Peixoto Sobrinho ◽

Elba Lúcia Cavalcanti de Amorim ◽

Joabe Gomes de Melo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quantitative Relationship ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Control Groups ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Natural Substances ◽

Brazilian Semiarid ◽

Therapeutic Value ◽

Pharmacological Potential ◽

Active Substances

There are several species of plants used by traditional communities in the Brazilian semiarid. An approach used in the search for natural substances that possess therapeutic value is ethnobotany or ethnopharmacology. Active substances that have phenolic groups in their structure have great pharmacological potential. To establish a quantitative relationship between the species popularly considered to be antimicrobial, antidiabetic, and antidiarrheal, the contents of tannins and flavonoids were determined. The plant selection was based on an ethnobotanical survey conducted in a community located in the municipality of Altinho, northeastern Brazil. For determination of tannin content was utilized the technique of radial diffusion, and for flavonoids, an assay based on the complexation of aluminum chloride. The group of plants with antimicrobial indications showed a higher content of tannins compared to the control groups. The results evidence suggests a possible relationship between these compounds and the observed activity.

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Wild plants and the food-medicine continuum—an ethnobotanical survey in Chapada Diamantina (Northeastern Brazil)

Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine ◽

10.1186/s13002-021-00463-y ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Patrícia Muniz de Medeiros ◽

Karina Ferreira Figueiredo ◽

Paulo Henrique Santos Gonçalves ◽

Roberta de Almeida Caetano ◽

Élida Monique da Costa Santos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Food Plants ◽

Wild Plants ◽

Wild Food ◽

Wild Food Plants ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Traditional Use ◽

Plant Component ◽

Chapada Diamantina ◽

Medicinal Value

Abstract Background Ethnobotanical research has demonstrated that several wild food plants (WFP) are used for medicinal purposes. Therefore, in addition to constituting an important source of nutrients, WFP can be used to help treat and avoid health problems. This study sought to characterize the traditional use of plants considered simultaneously as food and medicine by local specialists in the community of Caeté-Açu, which borders Chapada Diamantina National Park (NE Brazil). We also sought to identify the variables that influence the species’ cultural importance. Methods We selected local specialists based on a snowball sample and used a free-listing technique to register the wild plants they knew that are both edible and medicinal. Then, we asked the specialists to rank each plant component cited according to the following attributes: (1) ease of acquisition, (2) taste, (3) smell, (4) nutritional value, and (5) medicinal value. We used multiple regression to determine the variables that influence the cultural salience. Results The most culturally salient species was Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis. The main medicinal effects associated with this species were related to body strengthening, intestinal regulation, and stomach issues. The most salient used species were those that were easiest to acquire and had the highest perceived nutritional values. Conclusion It is likely that the sociocultural backgrounds of the respondents (elders, former miners, or descendants of miners) and the historical importance of wild food plants to local diets increased the predictive power of the perceived nutritional importance and ease of acquisition of these plants.

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Drug safety among institutionalized elderly people: potential interactions

Escola Anna Nery ◽

10.1590/2177-9465-ean-2019-0042. ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Maria Lígia Silva Nunes Cavalcante ◽

Renata Kelly Lopes de Alcântara ◽

Isabelly Costa Lima de Oliveira ◽

Samia Freitas Aires ◽

Ana Lívia Araújo Girão ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Interactions ◽

Elderly People ◽

Drug Safety ◽

The Elderly ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Start Time ◽

Safety Measures ◽

Institutionalized Elderly ◽

High Consumption ◽

Potential Interactions

ABSTRACT Objective: to identify the drug interactions among institutionalized elderly. Method: retrospective and documentary study with a quantitative approach developed in two Long Stay Institutions for Elderly, located in northeastern Brazil. Drug interactions were identified by using Drug-Reax® software from the Micromedex database, and they were classified by severity, start time, and documentation. Result: in the 286 analyzed prescriptions, 136 drug interactions were detected in both institutions, most of them classified as severe. The average number of drugs prescribed by the elderly was 4.5. In the analysis of Pearson's correlation, the number of drug interactions showed a statistically significant correlation with the time of institutionalization and with the amount of drugs administered on the day. Conclusion and implications for practice: the high consumption of drugs and serious drug interactions detected with significant clinical repercussions was evidenced in the study. Knowledge of these interactions is essential for the establishment of preventive safety measures in pharmacotherapy.

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Drug safety among institutionalized elderly people: potential interactions

Escola Anna Nery ◽

10.1590/2177-9465-ean-2019-0042 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Maria Lígia Silva Nunes Cavalcante ◽

Renata Kelly Lopes de Alcântara ◽

Isabelly Costa Lima de Oliveira ◽

Samia Freitas Aires ◽

Ana Lívia Araújo Girão ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Drug Interactions ◽

Elderly People ◽

Drug Safety ◽

The Elderly ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Start Time ◽

Safety Measures ◽

Institutionalized Elderly ◽

High Consumption ◽

Potential Interactions

ABSTRACT Objective: to identify the drug interactions among institutionalized elderly. Method: retrospective and documentary study with a quantitative approach developed in two Long Stay Institutions for Elderly, located in northeastern Brazil. Drug interactions were identified by using Drug-Reax® software from the Micromedex database, and they were classified by severity, start time, and documentation. Result: in the 286 analyzed prescriptions, 136 drug interactions were detected in both institutions, most of them classified as severe. The average number of drugs prescribed by the elderly was 4.5. In the analysis of Pearson's correlation, the number of drug interactions showed a statistically significant correlation with the time of institutionalization and with the amount of drugs administered on the day. Conclusion and implications for practice: the high consumption of drugs and serious drug interactions detected with significant clinical repercussions was evidenced in the study. Knowledge of these interactions is essential for the establishment of preventive safety measures in pharmacotherapy.

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The Use of Medicinal Plants in Maceió, Northeastern Brazil: An Ethnobotanical Survey

Medicines ◽

10.3390/medicines7020007 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (2) ◽

pp. 7 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Thycia Maria Gama Cerqueira ◽

Ana Carolina de Carvalho Correia ◽

Rafael Vital dos Santos ◽

Rosângela P. Lyra Lemos ◽

Sâmia Andrícia Souza da Silva ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Medicinal Plants ◽

Medicinal Plant ◽

Urban Areas ◽

Urban Population ◽

Complementary Therapy ◽

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Herbal Preparations ◽

Scientific Investigations ◽

Wide Range

Background: The purpose of this study was to record and analyze the knowledge of medicinal plant use in the community in urban areas of Maceió city, Brazil. Methods: A total of 113 patients from the basic healthcare unit were assessed. Results: Approximately 95% of the interviewed stated that the plants were used for medicinal purposes. The majority of respondents were women (94.7%) who were between 51-60 years of age. Forty-eight plant species belonging to 28 families were cited as useful for medicinal purposes. The main families encountered were Lamiaceae (16.6%), Asteraceae (8.3%), Myrtaceae (6.2%), Fabaceae (6.2%), Annonaceae (4.1%), Laureaceae (4.1%), Rutaceae (4.1%), and Zingiberaceae (4.1%). These plants were used to treat a wide range of disturbances, including gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases. The majority of the respondents used decoctions of leaves that were cultivated in house (58.4%) to make their herbal preparations. The respondents revealed that medicinal plant preparations were safe and unaware of that are risks associated with their use. Conclusions: Medicinal plants still play an important role in the medical practices of the urban population from Maceió, Brazil. Our results highlight the importance of these plants for local people and indicate the need for further scientific investigations to validate their use as a complementary therapy for disease control.

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Wild Plants and the Food-medicine Continuum – An Ethnobotanical Survey in Chapada Diamantina (Northeastern Brazil)

10.21203/rs.3.rs-136022/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Patrícia Muniz Medeiros ◽

Karina Ferreira Figueiredo ◽

Paulo Henrique Santos Gonçalves ◽

Roberta Almeida Caetano ◽

Élida Monique da Costa Santos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Northeastern Brazil ◽

Food Plants ◽

Wild Plants ◽

Wild Food ◽

Wild Food Plants ◽

Ethnobotanical Survey ◽

Traditional Use ◽

Plant Component ◽

Chapada Diamantina ◽

Medicinal Value

Abstract Background: Ethnobotanical research has demonstrated that several wild food plants (WFP) are used for medicinal purposes. Therefore, in addition to constituting an important source of nutrients, WFP can be used to help treat and avoid health problems. This study sought to characterize the traditional use of plants considered simultaneously as food and medicine by local specialists in the community of Caeté-Açu, which borders Chapada Diamantina National Park (NE Brazil). We also sought to identify the drivers of species’ cultural importance. Methods: We selected local specialists based on a snowball sample and used a free-listing technique to register the wild plants they knew that are both edible and medicinal. Then, we asked the specialists to rank each plant component cited according to the following attributes: (1) ease of acquisition, (2) taste, (3) smell, (4) nutritional value, and (5) medicinal value. We used multiple regression to determine the drivers of popularity and frequency of use. Results: The most culturally salient species was Anredera cordifolia (Ten.) Steenis. The main medicinal effects associated with this species were related to body strengthening, intestinal regulation, and stomach issues. The most salient used species were those that were easiest to acquire and had the highest perceived nutritional values. Conclusion: It is likely that the sociocultural backgrounds of the respondents (elders, former miners or descendants of miners) and the historical importance of wild food plants to local diets increased the predictive power of the perceived nutritional potential and ease of acquisition of these plants.

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