Conhecimento e uso sobre plantas medicinais de alunos do ensino médio de uma escola pública no município de Jaçanã - RN.

Abstract

Brazil has a vast biodiversity, whose plants are used for various purposes, including for curing and treating diseases. However, ethnobotanical studies carried out with medicinal plants occur mainly in communities, and are still incipient in the school environment, which makes it necessary to develop pedagogical practices in schools in order to contribute to the preservation of culture and conservation of medicinal flora resources. The purpose of this study was to investigate the previous knowledge about the use of medicinal plants in a class of 28 students in their third year of high school at E.E.E.F.M. Estadual Professora Terezinha Carolino de Souza, located in the city of Jaçanã-RN, as well as to develop pedagogical strategies that may contribute to the teaching-learning process of botany. This is a cross-sectional quali-quantitative study, where pedagogical actions were carried out in the period from April to May 2023, through the use of different didactic resources (application of a questionnaire, theoretical class, making posters and showing medicinal plants). It was found that most students use medicinal plants when they are affected by some disease, justifying their use because they consider that MPs are not harmful to health, and because they have acquired the habit, and the main influence for their use was their family. Among the MPs most commonly used by the students, twelve species were mentioned, being Boldo (Plectranthus barbatus Andrews), Holy grass (Cymbopogon citratus (D.C.) Stapf.), chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) the most mentioned species. Fourteen different medicinal uses were cited, the leaves being the parts most used in the preparation of medicines, in the form of teas, to combat, mainly, diseases of the gastrointestinal system. The students, in general, have little knowledge about the differences between medicinal plants and herbal medicines, although they make use of PM as a therapeutic resource, whose knowledge came from family transmission. However, the fact that they justify their use by considering that this resource "because it's natural, it doesn't hurt" is mistaken, and shows their lack of knowledge about the possible risks of toxicity that plants offer. In the realization of other activities (expository lecture, poster production and exhibition) there was an involvement of students, who participated in discussions, asked questions, brought curiosities, showing interest in the topic, besides enabling a moment of socialization. In this aspect, contextualized pedagogical activities, with the purpose of providing information for the safe use of plants is essential to be developed, especially at school. Therefore, it was shown how the development of pedagogical practices focused on ethnobotanical knowledge, through the use of active methodology, stimulated the protagonism of the students, the dialogue, and the appreciation of their experiences, resulting in a significant learning experience.