Estudo fitoquímico e etnobotânico das plantas medicinais mais comercializadas nas feiras livres de alguns municípios do Curimataú paraibano e do Trairí potiguar.

Abstract

In northeastern Brazil, more specifically in Paraiba and Rio Grande do Norte, is very common to use herbal products to treat various diseases. These plants, or derivatives are obtained through cultivation or most often by buying in fairs, where the healers have a huge diversity of products with herbal character to cure their illnesses. This work was done with the aim of demystifying the popular belief from a study of the active principles of the five species most traded in free markets of counties Cuite, New Forest, Jacana and Colonel Ezekiel. The methodology used in this work consists of formal and informal interviews with healers in their premises, with buyers and growers, direct observation of plants and the literature. Healers were interviewed fourteen, thirty-five buyers and eight growers of these plants. Plants to be studied were selected through a preliminary survey at the beginning of June with the healers of free markets on which the most sold for medicinal purposes. Data on the distribution of healers was not surprising because, as expected, the greatest amount of these is present at the open larger, in this case of Cuite-PB. Considering the monthly income, it was observed that most healers wins by a salary, and a minority receives two or more salaries. It is assumed that, in fact most of the healers sells more by need and not by ability as informed as we know are mostly heads of families, and that a minimum wage is not enough to maintain a family. From the results obtained through interviews and review of the literature, it can be concluded that the indications of the plants by salespeople based on popular usage are proven by scientific studies and that both popular knowledge as scientific knowledge, can lead to valid knowledge.