Estudo etnofarmacognóstico de plantas medicinais popularmente indicadas para tratamento de doenças tropicais em nove comunidades ribeirinhas do rio Solimões no trecho Coari-Manaus-AM

Abstract

The Amazon is a biome that has a significant cultural and biological diversity. The local knowledge of coastal communities regarding medicinal plants can serve as a basis for discovery of new drugs for tropical diseases care that affect these populations. This work focuses on the analysis of information about medicinal plants used for tropical diseases for coastal communities and identify chemically active substances in cells and/or tissue in selected species from the calculation of the concurrence of primary use of a species (CPU). The survey was conducted in nine coastal communities along the stretch Coari-Manaus/AM. The interviews were conducted from March 2007 to March 2008 using a semistructured with open and closed questions concerning the use of plants to treat tropical diseases. The informants were chosen for sampling non probabilistic intentional informants who know and use medicinal plants, through the method of "snowball". For data analysis was applied to calculate the percentage of agreement as to the principal use of a species (CPU). Anatomical analysis, histochemical and phytochemical methods were done following usual. We interviewed 150 residents in the communities. Malaria was the only disease, tropical diseases for which respondents know for its treatment plants. Of the 17 species cited two stand out with higher CPU. These species were collected and identified as Senna occidentalis (manjerioba) and Senna reticulata (mata-pasto). S. occidentalis is used for malaria prophylaxis, given to "keep the liver" for the use of tea prepared by infusion of the leaves and roots, once a day, throughout the year. S. reticulata is employed by the tea infusion, root, flower, bud, or leaf, which can be taken eight times a day for 3 days. The indication for using these plants is to users, effective in recovering from malaria and should be concomitant to hospital medical care. High CPU S. occidentalis refers to the importance of its use only for treatment of malaria, unlike other species that have different instructions for use. CPU S. reticulata was discharged for being the most suitable species for the riparian countries. The anatomical analysis revealed that the leaves of S. occidentalis and S. reticulata are similar in anatomical structure, differing in the presence of glandular trichomes in S. occidentalis, papillae on the epidermis of S. reticulata, histochemistry and composition. The roots of the two species examined are also similar, highlighting the presence of fibers gelatinous and crystals prismatcs and druse. The phytochemical screening revealed coumarins, flavanones, catechins, free steroids, saponins and quaternary compounds. The riverine know and use plants for treatment and prophylaxis of malaria, and S. occidentalis and S. reticulata have several metabolites that may be related to the same therapeutic activity.