Abstract
Abstract: Wild and domestic animals and their by-products are important ingredients in the preparation of medicines traditionally used in folk medicine, present in various human cultures since antiquity. However, the decline in the number of species in neotropical regions as a result of hunting for various purposes, including food, medicine and magico-religious use, has placed some species - especially endemic species - at risk of extinction. In this context, the present study aimed to identify the wild vertebrate species used in folk medicine in five communities in the region surrounding the Serra do Conduru State Park (PESC), Bahia, Brazil. Forty-five hunter-farmers were interviewed, citing 23 species, from which 17 raw materials are extracted for prevention and/or treatment of 19 illnesses. Mammals were the most cited taxon followed by birds and reptiles. Among the species mentioned, Cuniculus paca is the most used for zootherapy purposes, followed by Salvator merianae and Sphiggurus insidiosus. There was dissimilarity between the communities in relation to the diversity of species used for zootherapy. Ten categories of body systems were classified for which the therapeutic resources are recommended. Disorders related to the middle and inner ear were the most cited. Some of the species mentioned are endangered, such as Bradypus torquatus and Lachesis muta. This research demonstrated that zootherapy is a traditional practice embedded in these communities. Further studies are needed to broaden knowledge of other species that may have important cultural value for these families, as well as to evaluate the potential implications of the uncontrolled use of these species in traditional medicine in an ecological context, since the practice of zootherapy can excerpt pressure on critical animal populations and threaten biodiversity.
Highlights
Humans have always used nature as a source of survival resources, including disease and illness treatments, with traditional medical practices including the use of plants, animals and minerals to produce remedies (Alves & Rosa 2012, Alves & Souto 2010, Souto et al 2000)
The present study aimed to identify and characterize the wild vertebrate species used by hunter-farmers in traditional medicine in the region surrounding the Serra do Conduru State Park (PESC), located in the Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) of the state of Bahia, Brazil
Two families are composed of two species: Canidae (Nasua nasua and Cerdocyon thous) and Dasypodidae (Dasypus novemcinctus and Euphractus sexcinctus), the other families are represented by a single species
Summary
Humans have always used nature as a source of survival resources, including disease and illness treatments, with traditional medical practices including the use of plants, animals and minerals to produce remedies (Alves & Rosa 2012, Alves & Souto 2010, Souto et al 2000). Traditional forms of medicine have been strongly incorporated into contemporary societies, including phytotherapy and zootherapy, which are among the various therapeutic alternatives used throughout the world (Alves & Rosa 2005). In Latin America, many cultures still resort to animal-derived remedies as part of their traditional medicine practices, most of them deeply rooted in a long-standing tradition of wild fauna use, including many endangered species, to treat all kinds of diseases (Martínez 2013). More than 20 species used by the Izoceño-Gurani from the South East Bolivia (Bourdy et al 2004) and 14 species traded in the Bolivian rain forest (Apaza et al 2003) were reported
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