MAIA, Maria dos Milagres Fernandes.
Resumen:
The domain of caatinga plants have medicinal properties and are an important source of knowledge and therapeutic uses for the development of ethnobotanical research, whose valuation simultaneously contributes to the conservation and preservation of the species, as well as knowledge and local culture. This study aimed to register more known medicinal plants and used by students of the public High School Orlando Venancio Santos in Cuité City, Curimataú state of Paraiba. Therefore, we used a descriptive and qualitative-quantitative approach to conducting lecture on the theme "caatinga domain" and semi structured interviews with the questionnaire consists of nine open and closed questions, conducted with 33 students of both genders , aged between 15 and 17 years. Data were collected between February and April 2016. According to twenty four students of the respondents, they use preferably average based on medicinal plants (72.73%). In all, the students mentioned the medicinal use of 17 native species (41%; n = 7 species) and the exotic savanna area, encompassed in 17 genera and 15 families. The most representative family was Anacardiaceae (three species cited). The parts of the plant and most mentioned preparation methods were the leaves (58%; n = 11 species) and the tea infusion (88%, n = 14 species). It was concluded that although the "caatinga domain" has a very diverse flora, the local population makes little use native medicinal plants, which revealed the lack of information from the students on the issue of medicinal plants in the region.
