Medicinal uses of South American palms

Abstract

Palms are the most versatile group of plants used by man, providing all of the basic necessities (food, shelter, fuel and fiber) as well as many ameliorants (spices, oils, waxes, gums, poisons and medicines). The importance of palms in the pharmacopoeias of South American Indians has received little attention. This paper presents the results of a literature search on the medicinal uses of South American palms and suggests that phytochemical screening of these species might result in the identification of new and useful biodynamic compounds.