Plants Used to Treat Malaria in the Regions of Rio Branco-Acre State and Southern Amazonas State - Brazil

Abstract

Malaria is a parasitic disease caused by organisms of the genus Plasmodium. The present study examined wild and cultivated plants used to treat malaria and associated symptoms by riparian communities in the Municipalities of Pauini and Xapuri in Amazonas and Acre states, respectively. During the year 2013 86 persons were interviewed in nine rural communities in Pauini and Xapuri that were known for their knowledge and use of medicinal plants, After each interview, walks were made (walk in the woods), with the main informant of the family, for identification of plants and to collect the samples of the species indicated. A total of 86 plant species were indicated by seringueiros and ribeirinhos for the treatment of malaria and for associated symptoms, while 26 species were indicated exclusively for the treatment of malaria, of which two had no previous indication of use for that purpose. Among the plants mentioned in the survey, we highlight the ten most cited and used by respondents living in the two regions. They are: quina-quina - Stenostomum acreanum (40), carapanaúba - Aspidosperma nitidum (39), Picão ou carrapicho-agulha- Bidens pilosa (29), Copaíba - Copaifera sp. (21), melão-de-são-caetano - Momordica charantia (19), quina-quina - Geissospermum reticulatum (16), Paracanaúba / carapanúba - Aspidosperma megaphyllum (14), Amor-Crescido/ Alecrim - Portulaca pilosa (11) species in test 2 (8) and picão-plantado - Leonotis nepetifolia (7). The regions of Pauini and Xapuri have an important flora to prospect promising plants for new antimalarial drug, communities studied have a great knowledge about the forest and their members have used medicinal plants for malaria and its symptoms.