Medicinal plants of the caatinga (semi-arid) vegetation of NE Brazil: A quantitative approach

• Published in: Journal of ethnopharmacology Vol. 114; no. 3; pp. 325 - 354
• Main Authors: de Albuquerque, Ulysses Paulino, de Medeiros, Patrícia Muniz, de Almeida, Alyson Luiz S., Monteiro, Júlio Marcelino, de Freitas Lins Neto, Ernani Machado, de Melo, Joabe Gomes, dos Santos, Janaina Patrícia
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 03.12.2007; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Brazil; Ethnobotany; Ethnopharmacology; General pharmacology; Humans; Local knowledge; Medical ethnobotany; Medical sciences; Pharmacognosy. Homeopathy. Health food; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal - chemistry; Plants, Medicinal - classification; Plants, Medicinal - growth & development; South America; Brazil; America; Ethnopharmacology; Ethnobotany; NE; RI; Medical ethnobotany; CNIP; Local knowledge; CAPES; Survey; Biome; Pharmacognosy; Map(geography); List; Review; Medicinal plant
• ISSN: 0378-8741; 1872-7573
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2007.08.017

The caatinga (semi-arid vegetation) is a Brazilian biome with a significant but poorly studied biodiversity closely associated with a diverse cultural heritage. The present work focused on analyzing published information available concerning medicinal plants used by traditional communities. We sought to contribute to future phytochemical and pharmacological investigations by documenting the therapeutic uses of native caatinga plants within the aims of modern ethnopharmacological research. Twenty-one published works cited a total of 389 plant species used by indigenous and rural communities in northeastern Brazil for medicinal purposes. The relative importance index (RI) of each species in these inventories was calculated, and information concerning the plant's local status (spontaneous or cultivated), distribution, and habit was recorded. Of the 275 spontaneous (non-cultivated) species cited, 15.3% were endemic to the caatinga. A statistical relationship was verified between the relative importance of the species and their endemic status ( p < 0.05). Herbaceous plants were more numerous (169) than trees (90) or shrubs and sub-shrubs (130) at a statistically significant level ( p < 0.05). A survey of published information on the phytochemical and pharmacological status of the plants demonstrating the highest RI supported the veracity of their attributed folk uses.