DANTAS, C. G. F.; http://lattes.cnpq.br/7719835231060222; DANTAS, Cecília Guadalupe Farias.
Résumé:
The plants are used for various purposes, and among them, one of their main usage is as a
medicament. Ethnobotanical studies have been intensified in order to register the traditional
botanical knowledge, particularly related to the use of the resources of flora for therapeutic
purposes. Based on this context we performed a survey of medicinal plants used by the
residents of the municipality of Santa Luzia, Paraiba. Aiming to identify and catalog the
medicinal flora of this region, inserted in the caatinga biome, which suffers from human
activities, desertification and improper use of plant resources. The used method was the
application of a semi-structured sociocultural (gender, age, education) and environmental
(scientific and common name of the indicated species, used part, mode of preparation of
remedies and indications) questionnaire to 40 people, with 72.5% female and 27.5% male, age
ranged from 17 to 82 years, from July 2012 to August 2013. Resulting in 71 species
belonging to 38 botanical families being Fabaceae (8 spp.), Euphorbiaceae (6 spp.),
Lamiaceae (6spp.) and Asteraceae (5 spp.) the most representative. When calculated the
relative frequency of using the erva cidreira (Lippia Alba (Mill) NEBr.), hortela-grande
(Plectranthus amboinicus (Lour.) Spreng.), boldo (Vernonia condensata Baker.) mastruz
(Chenopodium ambrosioides L.) , cajueiro (Anacardium occidentale L.), capim santo
(Cymbopogon citratus (DC.) Stapf) and hortela miudo (Mentha pulegium L.) had citation
frequency > 4%, being the leaves (60, 6%) the most used part and tea (63.6%) as way of
preparing home remedies. The family remains the major source of transmission of traditional
knowledge.