O USO DE PLANTAS MEDICINAIS POR POVOS TRADICIONAIS DO BRASIL

Abstract

This study aimed to survey the occurrence of medicinal plants used by members of the community in the District of Taunay. The District of Taunay belongs to the municipality of Aquidauana and serves as the gateway to the seven Indigenous villages that comprise the Taunay/Ipegue Indigenous Land. The district is located in the Pantanal-Cerrado ecotone, in a rural area, approximately 42 km from the municipality of Miranda and 56 km from Aquidauana. This geographical isolation limits access to healthcare services provided in urban areas; consequently, traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and unconventional methods of treating illnesses and ailments constitute the most accessible and practical means for pain relief and healing. Information regarding the community’s use of herbal medicine was collected through visits to local cultivators of medicinal plants indicated by residents. Photographic records were taken of the species cultivated in household gardens and identified as being used for medicinal and therapeutic purposes, along with their common names, brief descriptions of their indications, the plant parts employed, and their forms of use, such as teas, poultices, oral preparations etc. This inventory resulted in the recording of 47 plant species in the Taunay District.