Volume 161, 23 February 2015, Pages 1–10
Research Paper
Ethno-medicinal study of plants used for treatment of human ailments, with residents of the surrounding region of forest fragments of Paraná, Brazil
Abstract
Ethnopharmacological relevance
This
study aims to document the traditional knowledge on the use of
medicinal plants in the neighborhood of the protected area “Parque
Estadual da Cabeça do Cachorro”, a fragment of seasonal semideciduous
forests. This vegetation is intensely fragmented and disturbed; despite
its importance there are few records of the traditional knowledge of
medicinal species.
Material and methods
Twenty-four residents in the neighborhood of the protected area “Parque Estadual da Cabeça do Cachorro”
were interviewed. The residents were questioned about preparation
techniques, recommended doses, ways of administration and healing
properties of various parts of the plants and were invited to walk
through the park to collect in situ some species of plants. The
recognized medicinal species were identified and traditional knowledge
was systematized. Quantitative indices (Informant Consensus Factor – FIC
and Use Value – UV) were calculated.
Results
115 species of medicinal plants belonging to 54 botanical families were cited. Asteraceae (n=14), Fabaceae (n=11), Myrtaceae (n=6), Bignoniaceae, Solanaceae and Verbenaceae (n=5) were the most species-rich. The highest use values were calculated for Achyrocline satureioides, Aristolochia triangularis and Bauhinia forficata
(0.63). Moreover, the informants consensus about usages of medicinal
plants ranges from 0.024 to 0.663, which shows high level of agreements
among the informants for gastro-intestinal and respiratory system
diseases. Furthermore, for the first time, new traditional medicinal
uses of Asteraceae (Chromolaena pedunculosa Hook. & Arn.), Commelinaceae (Tradescantia fluminensis Vell.) and Polypodiaceae (Microgramma vacciniifolia Langsd. & Fisch.) species were reported.
Conclusions
Present
study revealed that the residents of the surrounding region of forest
fragments of Paraná are rich in ethno-medicinal knowledge and rely on
plant-based remedies for common health problems. As in many parts of
Brazil knowledge of the past is combined with new knowledge that has
recently been incorporated emphasizing the cultural changes that this
area is experiencing. Despite the use of different species of plants are
crucial to their way of life, there is concern that these rich popular
knowledge may disappear in the future as a result of a possible
modernization of this area.
Graphical abstract
Keywords
- Seasonal semideciduous forest;
- Traditional knowledge;
- Ethnobotany;
- Biodiversity conservation;
- Parque Estadual da Cabeça do Cachorro
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