Ulysses Paulino Albuquerque

Knowledge and use of medicinal plants by local specialists in an region of Atlantic Forest in the state of Pernambuco (Northeastern Brazil)

The study of local knowledge about natural resources is becoming increasingly important in defining strategies and actions for conservation or recuperation of residual forests. This study therefore sought to: collect information from local populations concerning the use of Atlantic Forest medicinal plants; verify the sources of medicinal plants used; determine the relative importance of the species surveyed, and; calculate the informant consensus factor in relation to medicinal plant use. Data was obtained using semi-structured forms to record the interviewees personal information and topics related to the medicinal use of specific plants. The material collected represent 125 plants, distributed among 61 botanical families, with little participation of native plants. This study demonstrated that local people tend to agree with each other in terms of the plants used to treat blood-related problems, but cite a much more diverse group of plants to treat problems related to the respiratory and digestive systems – two important categories in studies undertaken in different parts of the world. The local medicinal flora is largely based on plants that are either cultivated or obtained from anthropogenic zones, possibly due to the use and access restrictions of the legally protected neighboring forest. Despite these restrictions, the species with the highest use-value by this community was Pithecellobium cochliocarpum (Gomez) Macb., a native plant of the Atlantic Forest.

Conhecimento botânico tradicional e conservação em uma área de caatinga no estado de Pernambuco, Nordeste do Brasil

In this paper we synthesized information on the traditional botanical knowledge of a rural community in the municipal district of Alagoinha, Pernambuco state, as part of an ethnobotanical project developed in the area. We used a variety of research methods, including floristic surveys in agroforestry systems (homegardens) and in the natural vegetation. People identify and use over 108 plant species distributed in 10 categories: food, medicinal, wood (for fuel, construction etc), domestic use (technology), forage, poison, insect repellent, ornamental, shade and mystic. This work discusses the ways by which the forest resources are used and managed, and the implications for conservation of the caatinga.

Re-examining hypotheses concerning the use and knowledge of medicinal plants: a study in the Caatinga vegetation of NE Brazil.

Background The Caatinga (dry land vegetation) is one of the most characteristic vegetation types in northeastern Brazil. It occupies a large percentage of the semi-arid region there, and generally supports two major types of economic activity: seasonal agriculture and the harvesting of plant products. However, very little information is available concerning the interaction of people with the plants of the Caatinga.

A new approach to study medicinal plants with tannins and flavonoids contents from the local knowledge

AIM OF THE STUDY The present work tested the power of different methodological strategies for identifying plants that could be interesting in terms of their phenolic compounds (especially flavonoids and tannins) by comparing a new index in which priority-determining criteria are based on the free-listing technique as well as on two randomized methods for choosing plants within an ethnodirected based approach. MATERIALS AND METHODS The present study was undertaken in the rural area of the municipality of Altinho located in the central region of Pernambuco State, northeastern Brazil. The ethnobotanical survey was divided into three different stages. The first stage was a general survey of 101 individuals on the use and knowledge of medicinal plants within the community. During the second stage local specialists were selected on the basis of the quality and quantity of information they offered during the initial phase of the investigation. The third stage consisted of returning to the specialists a final time in order to apply the free-listing technique. We also assumed that a plant could demonstrate anti-inflammatory and healing effects even without the presence of the compounds of interest of this study. RESULTS There is a strong association between tannin content and the effects popularly attributed to wound-healing and anti-inflammatory plants. No relationships were observed between plants used by the community to treat inflammation or healing with their flavonoid contents. CONCLUSION Thus, identifying Caatinga medicinal plants known with anti-inflammatory activity and healing capacities is a good criterion for identifying species with high levels of tannins, although these same criteria are not useful for identifying plants with high flavonoid contents.

Medicinal plants with bioprospecting potential used in semi-arid northeastern Brazil.

OBJECTIVES Many species of the Caatinga flora are used as medicines in local communities. In recent decades, the knowledge and use of these species has been expanding within this region. We attempted to record the local diversity of medicinal plants used to treat various diseases in a rural community in the state of Ceará, Brazil, and to evaluate the promising medicinal species for bioprospecting studies. METHODS An ethnobotanical survey was conducted using free list and semi-structured interviews. To indicate medicinal plants that stood out, the relative importance (RI) of species mentioned by key-informants (20), by general informants in the community (71) and by all informants (91), was analyzed. The group of species that stood out for human body systems based on the informant consensus factor (ICF) was also evaluated. RESULTS A total of 119 species were recorded that were associated with 92 health problems. Of these species, 100 were cited by key-informants and 86 were cited by general informants. Nineteen species showed a great versatility of use, including the following: Myracrodruon urundeuva Allemão, Bauhinia cheilanta (Bong.) Steud., Hymenaea courbaril L., Mentha x villosa Huds., Ziziphus joazeiro Mart., and Ruta graveolens L. Key-informants cited 33 exclusive species, from which nine presented greater relative importance. General informants cited 19 exclusive species, 2 with greatest relative importance. The therapeutic properties were grouped into 16 body system categories. These grouping categories included skin diseases and diseases of the subcutaneous tissue; sensory system (ears) disorders; respiratory disorders; and injuries, poisoning and other external symptoms. CONCLUSION The great diversity of medicinal plants used in the community is evident. Some species had both high relative importance and high consensus factors among the informants; these particular species are recommended for bioprospecting studies.

As pesquisas etnodirigidas na descoberta de novos fármacos de interesse médico e farmacêutico: fragilidades e pespectivas

Ethnopharmacological and ethnobotanical investigations have been the main approach used by scientists all over the world as a strategy to select medicinal plants. The qualities and strengths of these approaches have been sufficiently discussed, and there are a few doubts left in relation to their potential and biological, economic, and social impacts. This article focuses on ethnodirected studies (ethnopharmacological and ethnobotanical), raising problems found in the quality of these studies. In addition, we point out some elements that might contribute to the improvement of approaches and publications that can be applied to different ethnodirected studies. We also suggest that researchers reconsider some of the dominant approaches, as well as the view of these studies, which is often simplistic.

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.

Medicinal plants popularly used in the Xingó region – a semi-arid location in Northeastern Brazil

The aim of this study was to identify plant species among the diverse flora of the caatinga ecosystem that are used therapeutically. Research was undertaken in the municipalities of Piranhas and Delmiro Gouveia, in the Xingó region (state of Alagoas, NE Brazil). In order to identify the medicinal plants used in this region, semi-structured questionnaires were applied. The species cited were collected and sent to the Xingó Herbarium for taxonomic analysis. The relative importance (RI) of each species cited was calculated to verify their cultural importance. The therapeutic indications attributed to the species were classified under 16 body systems. A total of 187 medicinal species were cited, from 64 families and 128 genera. The main indications for medicinal plant use were against common colds, bronchitis, cardiovascular problems, kidney problems, inflammations in general, and as tranquilizers. Approximately 16% (30 plant species) were versatile in relation to their use, with an Relative Importance value over 1, having been indicated for up to nine body systems. The body systems that stood out the most were: the respiratory system, the gastrointestinal system, and infectious diseases. Most cited plant parts used for medicinal purposes were flowers, leaves, and inner stem bark.

Does the local availability of woody Caatinga plants (Northeastern Brazil) explain their use value

This study investigated the use of woody plants by a rural community in an area of dry land Caatinga vegetation in northeastern Brazil. Information was obtained concerning this woody species with a diameter that is equal to or greater than 3 centimeters (cm) at soil level surveyed in 100 sample plots totaling 1 hectare (ha). The following question is the hypothesis we tested. Is a plant’s relative importance (as measured by its use value) related to its “apparency,” as measured by its abundance and ecological dominance? “Apparency” explains the use value of plants in four categories: medicinal, construction, fuel, and technology. The most important uses of woody plants are related to harvesting for energy and construction purposes.quantitative approaches in ethnobotany have greatly improved (Boom 1986; Balée 1987; Prance et al. 1987) with the development of techniques that can be used to test hypotheses about the local knowledge of plants and their uses (Voeks 1996; Salick et al. 1999; Luoga et al. 2000; La Torre–Cuadros and Islebe 2003; Ladio and Lozada 2004). The early work of Prance et al. (1987) strongly influenced researchers in this area, followed later by Phillips and Gentry (1993a, 1993b) (see Paz Y Minõ et al. 1991; Mutchnick and McCarthy 1997; Galeano 2000; Albuquerque et al. 2005a). One of the hypotheses put forward by Phillips and Gentry (1993a, 1993b) concerns the relationships among local human populations and the plant resources available in nearby forest. These authors proposed a use–value index to analyze the relative importance of a given species as well as its relationship with local resource availability and “obviousness.” Rhoades and Cates (1976) and Feeny (1976) proposed the ecological apparency hypothesis, which attempted to evaluate how plant defenses against herbivory were distributed ecologically. Based on that work, Phillips and Gentry (1993a, 1993b) adapted the same sorts of techniques to examine human interactions with plant resources. The ecological apparency hypothesis basically treats the plant as a resource and the herbivore as a consumer, with the perception that the resource will influence the consumer’s behavior. When humans were considered in the role of consumers, the study of ethnobotany reached an important divide—for previous studies were rarely more than simple descriptions of the relationships between people and plants. Now ethnobotanical studies can be linked to testable hypotheses (see Lykke 2000), an advance long hoped for by specialists in the area (see Phillips and Gentry 1993a, 1993b), and it has Does the Local Availability of Woody Caatinga Plants (Northeastern Brazil) Explain Their Use Value?1

Caatinga revisited: ecology and conservation of an important seasonal dry forest.

Besides its extreme climate conditions, the Caatinga (a type of tropical seasonal forest) hosts an impressive faunal and floristic biodiversity. In the last 50 years there has been a considerable increase in the number of studies in the area. Here we aimed to present a review of these studies, focusing on four main fields: vertebrate ecology, plant ecology, human ecology, and ethnobiology. Furthermore, we identify directions for future research. We hope that the present paper will help defining actions and strategies for the conservation of the biological diversity of the Caatinga.