Maria Franco Trindade Medeiros

The apparency hypothesis applied to a local pharmacopoeia in the Brazilian northeast

BackgroundData from an ethnobotanical study were analyzed to see if they were in agreement with the biochemical basis of the apparency hypothesis based on an analysis of a pharmacopeia in a rural community adjacent to the Araripe National Forest (Floresta Nacional do Araripe - FLONA) in northeastern Brazil. The apparency hypothesis considers two groups of plants, apparent and non-apparent, that are characterized by conspicuity for herbivores (humans) and their chemical defenses.MethodsThis study involved 153 interviewees and used semi-structured interviews. The plants were grouped by habit and lignification to evaluate the behavior of these categories in terms of ethnospecies richness, use value and practical and commercial importance. Information about sites for collecting medicinal plants was also obtained. The salience of the ethnospecies was calculated. G-tests were used to test for differences in ethnospecies richness among collection sites and the Kruskal-Wallis test to identify differences in the use values of plants depending on habit and lignifications (e.g. plants were classes as woody or non-woody, the first group comprising trees, shrubs, and lignified climbers (vines) and the latter group comprising herbs and non-lignified climbers). Spearman’s correlation test was performed to relate salience to use value and these two factors with the commercial value of the plants.ResultsA total of 222 medicinal plants were cited. Herbaceous and woody plants exhibited the highest ethnospecies richness, the non-woody and herbaceous plants had the most practical value (current use), and anthropogenic areas were the main sources of woody and non-woody medicinal plants; herbs and trees were equally versatile in treating diseases and did not differ with regard to use value. Trees were highlighted as the most commercially important growth habit.ConclusionsFrom the perspective of its biochemical fundamentals, the apparency hypothesis does not have predictive potential to explain the use value and commercial value of medicinal plants. In other hand, the herbaceous habit showed the highest ethnospecies richness in the community pharmacopeia, which is an expected prediction, corroborating the apparency hypothesis.

Intracultural Variation in the Knowledge of Medicinal Plants in an Urban-Rural Community in the Atlantic Forest from Northeastern Brazil

This study assessed the intracultural knowledge of the use of medicinal plants in an urban-rural community in an Atlantic forest fragment in northeastern Brazil. We examined the importance of native and exotic species and the effects of gender and age on that knowledge. We also compared data obtained from different groups of informants (local experts and general community). We conducted 194 interviews between June 2007 and January 2008, using the freelist technique and semistructured forms to collect ethnobotanical data. Information obtained from the community was compared with that from six local experts who participated in a survey in 2003. From a total of 209 ethnospecies, exotic and herbaceous plants presented higher richness. With respect to the number of citations, women and older informants were shown to know a higher number of medicinal plants. Comparing knowledge of local experts with that of the general community, we noted that experts know a similar wealth of plant families and therapeutic indications, but the community knows a greater species richness. These results indicate that local experts may provide useful information for studies that search for a quick diagnosis of the knowledge of a given community.

The pharmacy of the Benedictine monks: The use of medicinal plants in Northeast Brazil during the nineteenth century (1823–1829)

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE The health of nineteenth century Brazilians is only alluded to in historical documents, and researchers still have much to discover. AIM OF THE STUDY This study aims to show the medicinal plants used in the 19th century in Brazil. MATERIALS AND METHODS To this end, information was obtained from the prescription book deposited in the archive of the Monastery of Saint Benedict in Olinda, Pernambuco, northeastern Brazil, about the daily use of medicinal plants. RESULTS By analyzing the prescriptions, we ascertained the terms and/or species and diseases and/or symptoms that existed among the people who were treated at the Benedictine hospital between 1823 and 1829. CONCLUSIONS The data presented here are relevant to other subject areas, especially modern pharmaceutical research. This study seeks to demonstrate the importance of plant resources in the nineteenth century and aims, through the detailed study of documentary sources, to provide a wealth of new information to modern science. Understanding the practices of the past provides insight into and may lead to improvements in modern pharmaceutical practice.

From Past to Present: Medicinal Animals in a Historical Perspective

Interactions with animals constitute one of the oldest forms of connection between mankind and nature. In general, connections that people establish with nature can be driven by different aspects of their lives, either material (e.g., food), or spiritual (e.g., myths). In this sense, the use of animals in medical practices by various human societies can be perceived as a persisting ancient relationship, either through mainstream medicine (e.g., use of animal toxins) or via complementary, and alternative medical systems. This chapter presents an overview of medical systems used by different peoples, and emphasizes the role played by historical ethnozoology as a discipline focusing on the relationships between animals and culture over time.

Food flora in 17th century northeast region of Brazil in Historia Naturalis Brasiliae

BackgroundThis article reports historical ethnobotany research conducted from a study of the work Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (Natural History of Brazil), authored by Piso and Marcgrave and published in 1648, with main focus on Caatinga of northeast region of Brazil.MethodsFocusing the content analysis on the section dedicated to plant species with multiple uses, Marcgraves contribution to the aforementioned work, this research had the following objectives: the retrieval of 17th century knowledge about the food uses of the flora in the northeast region of Brazil, including the taxonomic classifications; the identification of plant parts, their modes of consumption and the ethnic group of consumers; and the verification of the use of these species over time.ResultsThe use of 80 food species at the time of the publication of the work is indicated, some of which are endemic to the Caatinga, such as “umbu” (Spondias tuberosa Arruda), “mandacaru” (Cereus jamacaru DC.) and “carnauba” (Copernicia cerifera Mart.). It is noticeable that among the species listed by Marcgrave, some species still lack current studies indicating their real nutritional value. The present study is an unprecedented work because it introduces, in a systematic way, the food plants described in a study of 17th century Brazil.ConclusionsFinally, this study makes information about plants consumed in the past accessible, aiming to provide material for studies that could develop new food products today.

Natural products from ethnodirected studies: revisiting the ethnobiology of the zombie poison.

Wade Daviss study of Haitian “zombification” in the 1980s was a landmark in ethnobiological research. His research was an attempt to trace the origins of reports of “undead” Haitians, focusing on the preparation of the zombification poison. Starting with this influential ethnopharmacological research, this study examines advances in the pharmacology of natural products, focusing especially on those of animal-derived products. Ethnopharmacological, pharmacological, and chemical aspects are considered. We also update information on the animal species that reportedly constitute the zombie poison. Several components of the zombie powder are not unique to Haiti and are used as remedies in traditional medicine worldwide. This paper emphasizes the medicinal potential of products from zootherapy. These biological products are promising sources for the development of new drugs.

Medicinal Plants Prescribed in the Hospital of the Sao Bento Monastery between 1823 and 1824 in Olinda - Northeastern Brazil~!2010-01-05~!2010-01-20~!2010-06-22~!

Given the high importance of historical documental sources to better understand the dynamics of current pharmacopoeias, this work investigated the prescription book of the hospital of São Bento Monastery in Olinda (Northeastern Brazil) written by the physician Joaquim Jerônimo Serpa for the years of 1823 and 1824. The main aims of the work were to identify the medicinal plants used in formulations, identify the similarity among prescribed species within these years, access the proportion of plant-based medicines in the prescriptions and to access the contribution of species from the Americas in the formulations. A total of 63.8% of prescriptions had one or more plant species. We found 41 plant species in the prescriptions, most of them being exotic although native species were getting importance in the period. The most cited species were Papaver somniferum L., Rheum officinale Baill., Psychotria ipecacuanha (Brot.) Stokes, Cinchona sp. and Guaiacum officinale L. The similarity between the years was slow (46.5%), because of an increase in the number of prescribed species for the year of 1824. The importance of plants for the medicine at that time was elucidated, but, regarding native species, it is necessary to find out which factors influenced the incorporation of American plants on the official medicine.

Folk classification as evidence of transformed landscapes and adaptative strategies: a case study in the semiarid region of northeastern Brazil

Abstract How do people classify the living world? Solid theoretical and methodological foundations advocate for utilitarian or intellectual strategies. Some authors argue that people tend to classify natural resources that are necessary for their survival. However, in the case of landscapes, we do not know the true criteria that people use to classify their space. We present strong evidence that people name landscapes according to utilitarian (economic) criteria. We also seek to identify which factors and variables explain people’s knowledge about landscapes and how this knowledge can generate information about landscape modifications. This study was conducted in the Brazilian National Forest of Araripe (FLONA Araripe), NE Brazil, with local people who live near this forest. A total of 304 nomenclatural types of landscapes were recounted, and these landscapes were mainly associated with indicators of current or past use. The variables that best explained the knowledge about landscapes were useful species known and the number of categories of use, showing that utilitarian features are strongly associated with local forest classification. Our findings suggest an adaptive strategy in which people name the landscape based on past and current uses, either as a whole or with respect to particular features of certain areas. In addition, we interpret this finding as a mnemonic strategy for optimising the use of the landscape.

Medical ethnobiology and ethnopharmacology in latin america 2013.

Through their long exposure and experience with natural resources, many local communities in Latin America have developed health care practices. Thousands of years of observation and experimentation have helped in developing different empirical medical systems, as well as knowledge of plants, animals, and minerals. Such knowledge is the subject of medical ethnobiology and ethnopharmacology, disciplines that before being exclusive actually complemented each other. In the broadest sense, both medical ethnobiology and ethnopharmacology attempt to make sense and to understand traditional medical systems: the first from perceptions, healing strategies, natural resources used to fight diseases or maintain health; the second from traditional medicines, either plants, animals, or minerals. We can find new and different types of approaches and theoretical and methodological developments such as ethnopharmacological evaluations of traditional drugs unknown so far; the inclusion of historical perspective in ethnopharmacological studies; the migration influence on traditional medical systems both in industrialized countries and remote locations, or a greater focus on urban contexts in ethnopharmacology. Moreover, the integrative aspect is noteworthy; it includes medical ethnobotany and zootherapy (the treatment of human diseases using drug-based therapies derived from animals). Recent developments in methods and theory, like any evolving discipline, promote discussions of theoretical scenarios and help us understand the contexts of traditional medical systems as well as methods and techniques that enable access to these systems. Perhaps, a very common approach has been the development of quantitative techniques to access information about animals and plants used in these medical systems, in order to constitute a way to objectively select resources for phytochemical and pharmacological studies. Ethnopharmacological evaluations of traditional drugs is perhaps an approach that concentrates most investigations, focusing on an assessment of traditional preparations regarding their effectiveness. Both animals and plants provide extensive resources for new Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) approaches which may prove important for future applications. Despite criticism about errors in experimentation and data interpretation this approach has proven useful. The historical perspective of ethnopharmacology has focused on the medicinal use of natural products that has preceded recorded human history probably by thousands of years. Surveys of those medicaments used in the past show that whereas compounders of medicines have invariably used vegetable, animal, and mineral substances, animals are less prevalent than herbs, and more prevalent than minerals. Historical texts showed that the treatment of illnesses using animal-based remedies is an extremely old practice. Animal-based remedies have constituted part of the inventory of medicinal substances used in various cultures since ancient times. Until now, studies concerning diversity of plants and animals used in medical systems of immigrants have occupied little space in the ethnopharmacological literature. Thus there has been influence of migration on traditional medical systems. Ethnobiological studies have shown that the natural product diversity used by people arises from a number of learning strategies, both simple and complex and that sophisticated social learning in particular plays a key role in transmitting variation in behavior between generations. Medical ethnobotany and zootherapy constitutes an important alternative among many other known therapies practiced worldwide. There is growing recognition that people in different parts of the world still use animal-and plant-based remedies as primary or complementary medicine. Probably the most famous of these are the Chinese, who use animals for a variety of ailments. Lesser known and studied, though just as varied and rich is Latin Americas and Africa long tradition of animal remedies for all kinds of ailments. For example, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, more than 1500 animal species have been recorded to be of some medicinal use. In Brazil, at least 326 medicinal animals have been recorded, and at least 584 animal species, in Latin America. Using plants and animals for medicinal purposes is part of a body of traditional knowledge which is becoming increasingly more relevant to discussions on conservation biology, public health policies, and sustainable management of natural resources, biological prospection, and patents. Ethnopharmacology in urban contexts while expanding in most of the world continue to supplement limited public health facilities and more expensive commercially produced medications with popular remedies; this has led to an increasing demand for wildlife products for medicinal purposes in urban areas. A reflection is the widespread trade in medicinal plants and animals, mainly concentrated in local and traditional market in urban areas. This Special Issue of 22 peer-reviewed papers include in this collection various dimensions of the constitutional process of healing practices through the use of plants and animals that local communities in Latin America developed over centuries of experimentation. The papers explore different aspects of the empirical use of natural resources including the cultural dimensions that influence the extraction of natural products, evaluation of medicinal efficacy of these products; intermedical character of traditional medical systems; application of fossils in folk medicine. All these researches highlight the importance of local perceptions and knowledge as potential information that can contribute to future applications and therefore as a new source of medicines from natural products.

Studying Ethnozoology in Historical Documents

Abstract Humans have established and maintained connections with animals throughout our history. Anthropogenic interventions in natural environments have left their marks on essentially all existing ecosystems, and many records of these interactions can be found in historical documents, representing important sources of information that can hold ethnozoological observations and record human–animal relationships and their evolution over time—the focus of the present chapter. Here we will discuss the documentary heritage of ethnozoology, examining methodological and theoretical aspects that can help us understand this large body of information handed down from the past that will be joined with current knowledge and transmitted to future generations. As an illustrative example of the historical implications of how human exploitation of animals can be encountered in historical documents, we present here the case of whaling in Brazil.