Abstract
The Amazon Forest is known all over the world for its diversity and exuberance, and for sheltering several indigenous groups and other traditional communities. There, as well as in several other countries, in traditional medical systems, weakness, fatigue and debility are seen as limiting health conditions where medicinal plants are often used in a non-specific way to improve body functions. This review brings together literature data on Ampelozizyphus amazonicus, commonly known in Brazil as “saracura-mirá” and/or “cerveja de índio”, as an Amazonian adaptogen, including some contributions from the authors based on their ethnographic and laboratory experiences. Topics such as botany, chemistry, ethnopharmacological and pharmacological aspects that support the adaptogen character of this plant, as well as cultivation, market status and supply chain aspects are discussed, and the gaps to establish “saracura-mirá” as an ingredient for the pharmaceutical purposes identified. The revised data presented good scientific evidence supporting the use of this Amazonian plant as a new adaptogen. Literature data also reveal that a detailed survey on natural populations of this plant is needed, as well as agronomical studies that could furnish A. amazonicus bark as a raw material. Another important issue is the lack of developed quality control methods to assure its quality assessment.
Highlights
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations
Amazonian Medicinal Plants Used as Fortifiers and Tonics and the Relationship with Adaptogens—The Case of “Saracura-Mirá”
Throughout history, it is possible to see that in traditional medical systems in various countries or regions of the world, signs and symptoms such as weakness, fatigue and debility are seen as limiting factors for health conditions
Summary
A. amazonicus is an Amazonian medicinal plant popularly known as “saracura-mirá”, “saracura-corá”, “saracura-muirá”, “saracura”, “curupira-mirá”, “paa-camiuu-ho”, “cervejado-mato” (bush beer), “cervejinha” (little beer), “cerveja-de-índio” (indian beer) or “cervejade-preto” (quilombola beer), “cerveja da Amazônia” (Amazon beer), “viagra da amazônica” (Amazon viagra), Ijo Sev (Ikólóéhj ethnicity) and xiwiriati (Wai-Wai ethnicity) [14,24,25,26]. Analyzing the adaptogen concept in the light of the lifestyle of these quilombola communities, one can highlight the medicinal uses of A. amazonicus These people live far from the urban centers, deep in the forest, since the beginning of the 19th century, basically living on fishing and hunting, extracting edible fruits and small-scale banana and cassava farming, as well as the extractivism of medicinal and food plants such as the Brazil nut, among others. They are in full contact with nature, in a remote region with high biodiversity, which is why their knowledge of medicinal plants is so rich, coming from the mix of a strong African matrix associated with the knowledge of Portuguese and Amerindian colonizers. This report demonstrates a potential for the use of other plant organs, which would contribute to better use and conservation of the species, even if the species were to be cultivated and domesticated
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
