Abstract
The aim of the study was to describe local knowledge about the use of medicinal plants cited by study participants, as well as to examine how phytotherapy serves as an important strategy of integrative and complementary practice in coping with health problems. The research is characterized as an exploratory study of the descriptive type. Non-probabilistic snowball sampling generated a sample of one hundred and ten participants (n = 110). The study instruments were semi-structured interviews and questionnaires. The data collected were analyzed using Microsoft Excel 2007 and summarized with descriptive statistical methods. The study informants presented knowledge of 77 species and 46 plant families, showing the rich variety of medicinal flora present in the Northern Brazilian Amazon. Among the respondents, elderly women had the most diversified knowledge. Preserving this knowledge is essential and can help in the implementation of public health policies. The results showed high richness of the medicinal flora present in Northern Brazilian Amazon. Key words: Medicinal plants, phytotherapy, local knowledge, collective health, Brazilian Amazon
Highlights
Brazil is the most biodiverse country in the world, associated with rich ethnic and socio-cultural diversity, including valuable traditional knowledge about the use of medicinal plants (National Policy of Medicinal Plants and Phytotherapy, 2006)
Female predominance can be explained by the greater willingness of women to respond to the questionnaire, and because women were reported to take up more responsibility in caring for children; leading them to learn more about using plants to treat major diseases and symptoms that family members present, and may be justified by the greater willingness of women to respond to the questionnaire
Modern medicine is continually growing in the two neighborhoods where the research was conducted, traditional medicine still plays a large role in treating different diseases
Summary
Brazil is the most biodiverse country in the world, associated with rich ethnic and socio-cultural diversity, including valuable traditional knowledge about the use of medicinal plants (National Policy of Medicinal Plants and Phytotherapy, 2006). In addition to its recognized natural group of indigenous peoples and traditional populations who have learned, over time, how to live in diverse environments. These groups (Indians, caboclos, riparians, rubber tappers, quilombolas, fishermen, small farmers and extractivists) have vast knowledge about. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 80% of the world's population, especially in developing countries such as Brazil, still treat diseases with herbal products and use traditional medicine for primary healthcare (Rahman and Singhal, 2002). Medicinal plants are already a significant part of Brazilian popular culture, and in recent decades, interest in phytotherapy has increased considerably among users, researchers and health service providers
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