Cereus jamacaru DC. (Cactaceae): From 17 th century naturalists to modern day scientific and technological prospecting

Ana Regina Campos Nascimento,Luana Fernanda Costa Raulino Silva,Maria Franco Trindade Medeiros,Luci de Senna Valle

doi:10.1590/0102-33062018abb0352

Ana Regina Campos Nascimento, Luana Fernanda Costa Raulino Silva + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-33062018abb0352

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Abstract

ABSTRACT Mandacaru (Cereus jamacaru DC - Cactaceae) possesses peculiar physiological and morphological characteristics that allow it to withstand long periods of scarcity and to adapt to different environments. Several uses have also been reported for the species from the 17th century to the present day. Given this history and the importance of the usage of mandacaru, the present investigation aimed to gather information about its uses from different documentary sources, and to perform a comparative analysis between past and present uses. Historia Naturalis Brasiliae by Piso and Marcgrave (17th century) served as the primary source, while information on labels of exsicates in botanical collections, basic scientific literature, and applications for patent filing at INPI, EPO, USPTO, WIPO (until October 2017), served as secondary sources. According to established categories of use, both the primary source and secondary sources revealed that mandacaru has had several applications, among which use for food and medicinal purposes stand out. Other uses, such as ornamental, magical-religious, civil construction and rural fences, were also reported. Despite the numerous references of usage in the documentary sources, knowledge about the potential use of C. jamacaru is not widely spread nor well protected.

Highlights

Cereus jamacaru, commonly known as ‘mandacaru’ or ‘cardeiro’, is a native species of the Caatinga biome
Considering the historical importance of the use of the mandacaru cactus by different human communities in the semi-arid region of Brazil, reports scattered throughout the literature about its use, and the need to gather more information for a better understanding of the species, the present study aimed to undertake a scientific and technological survey based on different documents about the species
The work Historia Naturalis Brasiliae (1648) is used as a primary source, with the intention of recovering information on mandacaru cited therein by Guilherme Piso and George Macgrave, and performing a comparative analysis of uses registered by naturalists of the 17th century with uses reported in other records

Summary

Introduction

Commonly known as ‘mandacaru’ or ‘cardeiro’, is a native species of the Caatinga biome. According to Sales et al (2014), mandacaru has great medicinal importance and is widely used in popular medicine in Northeast Brazil, mainly by local populations of the semiarid region for which it is often one of the few therapeutic resources available.

Results

Conclusion