Julio Marcelino Monteiro

Taninos: uma abordagem da química à ecologia

Tannins are compounds of great interest in chemistry and ecology. They have various effects on food digestibility and the performance of animals. In this work, the chemistry, the biological activity and the ecology of tannins are examined. A brief discussion of several analytical methods for the determination of tannins is presented.

How ethnobotany can aid biodiversity conservation: reflections on investigations in the semi-arid region of NE Brazil.

Ethnobotany is a relatively new discipline but its social and scientific roles are becoming more consistently defined and its importance as a tool for complimenting management and conservation strategies at local and regional levels is now well recognized by the scientific community throughout the world. In the present work we have collected information from four years of ethnobotanical study in an area of caatinga vegetation in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil with the goal of defining a model for conservation and management actions in the region. Drawing on ethnobotanical and ecological information obtained through traditional techniques of ethnobotanical and vegetation surveys, we discuss the uses of 166 native and exotic plant species and suggest specific actions and specific groups of species for conservation and sustainable use programs. We also discuss the limitations of our approach and indicate what information must still be collected in order to construct robust and workable plans of action.

The effects of seasonal climate changes in the caatinga on tannin levels in Myracrodruon urundeuva (Engl.) Fr. All. and Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan

Examinou-se a influencia da sazonalidade climatica sobre as concentracoes de taninos em duas especies da Caatinga: Myracrodruon urundeuva (Engl.) Fr. All. e Anadenanthera colubrina (Vell.) Brenan. Empregou-se o metodo Folin-Ciocalteau para quantificar os fenois totais e o metodo de precipitacao da caseina para taninos. De maneira geral, existe uma forte relacao entre os teores de taninos e a pluviosidade, apesar das especies parecerem adotar diferentes estrategias de producao de compostos tânicos em resposta aos periodos de seca e chuva na caatinga.

Teor de taninos em três espécies medicinais arbóreas simpátricas da caatinga

A comparative study of tannin concentration in three medicinal plants from caatinga vegetation (Northeast Brazil) was carried out through colorimetric assays. Bark and leaf samples of 10 individuals of each species were extracted with 80% methanol. Tannin was determined by Folin-Ciocalteau analysis for total phenolic materials, followed by precipitation with casein. Additionally, it was tested the hypothesis that the tannin concentration is directly related with the height and diameter of the plants. The results show that the studied species contain an expressive amount of tannins.

Local Markets and Medicinal Plant Commerce: A Review with Emphasis on Brazil

Local Markets and Medicinal Plant Commerce: A Review with Emphasis on Brazil. Local markets unite, concentrate, maintain, and diffuse empirical knowledge about plant and animal resources and therefore help guarantee the resilience and maintenance of folk knowledge concerning useful species. A critical review is presented here that focuses on the importance of these local markets, emphasizing the diversity of medicinal products offered, the different approaches to this subject, and the evolution of the research approaches taken in studying the medicinal plant products sold. To this end, the scientific literature was examined for research on these markets so as to provide a panoramic view of the different approaches taken, the diversity of plants being sold, the methodological procedures employed in collecting research information, and the specific nature of the studies. From our point of view, it is necessary to intensify the ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological investigation of these markets, especially with comparable methods and techniques.AbstractMercados locais e o comércio de plantas medicinais: Uma revisão com ênfase no Brasil. Os mercados tradicionais são importantes por reunir, concentrar, manter e difundir o saber empírico sobre a diversidade de recursos tanto da fauna como da flora, sendo fontes imprescindíveis para a resiliência e manutenção do conhecimento acerca dessas espécies medicinais. Essa proposta de revisão crítica enfocou a importância desses centros de compras, ressaltando a diversidade de produtos ofertados, os diferentes enfoques das pesquisas realizadas e a evolução das abordagens ao estudar os produtos vegetais comercializados nos mercados. Dessa forma, realizou-se uma busca em periódicos para evidenciar o desenvolvimento das pesquisas com mercados intencionando-se uma visão panorâmica das diferentes abordagens utilizadas. Sobre isso, foram abordados: a diversidade vegetal comercializada, as partes vegetais mais encontradas nos mercados, bem como os procedimentos metodológicos para coleta de informações e a natureza desses estudos. A partir das análises realizadas, recomendações foram sugeridas para futuras pesquisas em mercados tradicionais: a realização de inventários locais sobre espécies úteis associado a comparações com informações já existentes.

Plantas medicinais utilizadas na Comunidade Santo Antônio, Currais, Sul do Piauí: um enfoque etnobotânico

The study aimed toflist the medicinal plants used by members of the Rural Community of Santo Antonio, in the city of Currais, state of Piaui, Brazil, in order to assess the value of use and richness of the species known locally. Approximately 121 species were mentioned by 32 respondents. The most representative families were Fabaceae, Arecaceae and Anacardiaceae. The species with the highest use wa:[Amburana cearensis (Allemao) A. C. S]. There were no significant differences between genders in terms of knowledge, as well as income and education. However, the age significantly influenced knowledge about useful plants. The richness of the Piaui flora, marked by presenting areas of transition between the Brazilian Caatinga and Cerrado in the south, offers a unique opportunity for the development of research covering the scope of plant biodiversity and associated traditional knowledge.

Knowledge and extractivism of Stryphnodendron rotundifolium Mart. in a local community of the Brazilian Savanna, Northeastern Brazil

BackgroundThis study aims to understand how the stem bark of Stryphnodendron rotundifolium Mart. is used by a rural community in the savanna of Northeastern Brazil, associated with a preliminary assessment involving plant population structure and extractivism in the main sites of collection.MethodsA population structure study and analysis of bark extractivism was conducted in two sites: one within the forest and another at its edge. We had the intention of testing whether there are differences between these sites; since the local extractive practice is prohibited, expecting more intense extraction in the forest interior than its edge by the local fiscalization. We interviewed 120 informants who reported knowing and using the species, and also the places of extractivism. We also calculated quantitative measures of local knowledge, and the influence of gender and age on the knowledge about this species.ResultsKnowledge of the uses was evenly distributed between men and women. A total of 28 specimens were recorded at Site 1, whereas 23 were identified at Site 2, with the specimens at both sites distributed in 4-diameter classes with 4-cm intervals. Nine of the specimens found in Site 1 (32.14%) showed some sign of extraction. No specimen from Site 2 showed signs of extraction. In Site 1, the total area of stem bark removed was 43,468 cm2, and the total area of stem bark available was 33,200 cm2. In Site 2, only the available stem-bark area of 44,666 cm2 was identified because no specimens were harvested. There is no difference in knowledge of this species regarding the gender and age.ConclusionsStryphnodendron rotundifolium is a key resource for the studied community. A large proportion of bark collected from the first diameter size class may affect the growth of these individuals and may influence the recruitment process. Perhaps, this effect may explain the absence of individuals in some size classes.

An ethnopharmacological assessment of the use of plants against parasitic diseases in humans and animals.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE Ethnobotanical surveys are detecting an increasing frequency of exotic plant species in pharmacopeias, which has led researchers to investigate the role of such species in traditional medical systems. According to the diversification hypothesis, exotic species are included to complete pharmacopeias, i.e., to treat diseases for which no native species are known, thus broadening the scope of the plant repertoire. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study was conducted at two rural communities in northeastern Brazil aiming at a survey of the plants known or used by the population to treat endo- and ectoparasitic diseases in humans and animals. In addition, plant extracts exhibiting acaricide activity were assessed using the engorged female immersion and larval packet tests (LPT). RESULTS The results of the present study showed a tendency for native species to be used against ectoparasites and exhibit a broader scope of use compared to exotic species. In turn, exotic species were predominantly indicated to treat diseases caused by endoparasites, although there was an overlap of native and exotic species relative to some therapeutic purpose, e.g., ticks. Only two of the plant species tested exhibited acaricide activity (Nicotiana glauca Graham and Croton blanchetianus Baill.), and in both cases, the activity was weak. CONCLUSION The ethnobotanical data do not fully support the suggested hypothesis. Overall, the wide versatility of exotic species was not exclusively used to treat parasitic diseases in humans and animals. In addition, the selection of acaricide plants based on the ethnopharmacological study generated uninteresting results.

Valuation of the Aroeira (Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão): perspectives on conservation

Assigning an economic value to a given environmental asset has helped conservation proposals, and valuing these assets at levels comparable to market rates facilitates the establishment of environmental policies. Thus, this research aimed to assess the value of the species Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemao, using the method of contingent valuation to determine the maximum willingness to pay of frequent visitors to the Caruaru Fair, located in northeastern Brazil. Our results show that most interviewees agreed to participate in proposals to support species conservation, although the average willingness to pay (WTP) was relatively low compared to other surveys conducted in Brazil. However, a significant number of the interviewees had exceptionally low monthly incomes. Another relevant aspect of this research was the high number of people (98.5% of the informants) who were concerned about biodiversity conservation; many interviewees stated that the preservation of biodiversity is not a duty exclusive to the government or the people but rather a collective responsibility. Therefore, these findings may encourage the provision of public proposals for environmental conservation, along with other surveys or government actions funded by a society that has the willingness to pay for them. This study is the first economic valuation of a caatinga species, many of which are under threat of extinction.

Information Retrieval during Free Listing Is Biased by Memory: Evidence from Medicinal Plants

Free listing is a methodological tool that is widely used in various scientific disciplines. A typical assumption of this approach is that individual lists reflect a subset of total knowledge and that the first items listed are the most culturally important. However, little is known about how cognitive processes influence free lists. In this study, we assess how recent memory of use, autonoetic and anoetic memory, and long-term associative memory can affect the composition and order of items in free lists and evaluate whether free lists indicate the most important items. Based on a model of local knowledge about medicinal plants and their therapeutic targets, which was collected via individual semi-structured interviews, we classify each item recorded in free lists according to the last time that the item was used by the informant (recently or long ago), the type of relevant memory (autonoetic or anoetic memory) and the existing associations between therapeutic targets (similar or random). We find that individuals have a tendency to recall information about medicinal plants used during the preceding year and that the recalled plants were also the most important plants during this period. However, we find no trend in the recall of plants from long-term associative memory, although this phenomenon is well established in studies on cognitive psychology. We suggest that such evidence should be considered in studies that use lists of medicinal plants because this temporal cognitive limit on the retrieval of knowledge affects data interpretation.