Utilização das plantas medicinais por diabéticos do município de Colorado (PR) / Medicinal herbs used by diabetic people in Colorado, Brazil

O Diabetes mellitus é uma doença crônica caracterizada pela elevação da glicose no sangue (hiperglicemia), sendo considerado um distúrbio do metabolismo dos carboidratos, lipídios e proteínas, devido à ausência de insulina produzida pelo pâncreas e/ou pela diminuição de sua ação, não permitindo que o corpo possa utilizá-la eficazmente. Os fatores de risco do diabetes podem ser encontrados no meio ambiente ou podem ser hereditários. As mudanças provocadas no meio ambiente pelo próprio homem, os hábitos e estilos de vida podem determinar o tipo de diabetes. Pesquisas sobre o diabetes têm avançado rapidamente nas últimas décadas, com isso vem sendo descobertas novas formas de tratamentos, no entanto a população diabética continua a fazer uso de plantas, como terapia alternativa que pode ser somada aos tratamentos convencionais. Através de questionários aplicados à pacientes com diabetes no município de Colorado-Paraná, resgatamos o conhecimento que essa população tem sobre as plantas medicinais. A maioria da população diabética não faz uso de plantas medicinais, no entanto esse estudo é válido, pois acrescenta informações sobre o uso das mesmas no controle do diabetes, além disso, é fundamental que os profissionais da saúde, tenham conhecimento sobre a utilização destas plantas, para que informem a população quanto às formas de preparo mais comumente utilizadas, e os riscos que as mesmas podem apresentar, afim de que o uso proporcione os benefícios desejados à saúde.

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease characterized by high glucose levels in the blood (hyperglycemia). It is a metabolic disorder due to the lack of insulin produced by the pancreas or by decrease of its activities which impair its efficiency. Risk factors are extant in the environment and may be hereditary. Man-made changes in the environment, habits and life style determine the type of diabetes. Research on diabetes have progressed during the last decades and new forms of treatment have been discovered, even though several people suffering from the disease still ingest plants as an alternative therapy together with conventional treatments. Current paper is a survey of patients suffering from diabetes and attended to by the Health Office of the municipality of Colorado PR Brazil. It also evaluates their knowledge on medicinal plants. One hundred patients suffering from diabetes were interviewed at their own homes and a bibliographical survey was undertaken to see whether the plants have any scientific basis against diabetes. Most of the interviewed people did not use medicinal plants; they were females, with primary schooling; diagnosed between one and five years and between four and seven for treatment; with no cases of diabetes in the family; and use drugs for treatment. Patients who used medicinal plants against diabetes mentioned 22 different types of plants which they used in infusions, twice a day, and believe that they decrease blood glucose. Despite the few people using the plants, current study is valid since it adds information on their use in the control of diabetes. It is important that health professionals are aware of these plants to inform people on their preparation and the risks they may have so that their use provides the desired benefits.

Plantas medicinais utilizadas para analgesia em famílias descendentes de pomeranos no Sul do Brasil / Plantas medicinales utilizadas para la analgesia en familias descendientes de pomeranias en el Sur de Brasil / Medicinal plants used for analgesia in families descendants of pomeranians in Southern Brazil

Objective: the aim of this study was to identify the medicinal plants used as analgesic by families descendant from Pomeranians in Southern Brazil. Method: this was a qualitative study with five families of farmers. The place of the study was the home of families, located in the countryside, with data collected between January and May 2011. The instruments used were the imposition of a semi-structured interview and ethno-botany of medicinal plants used as analgesic, which were later identified taxonomically. Results: there were mentioned 105 medicinal plants, from which 20 are used as analgesic. Conclusion: it is observed that most of the analgesic medicinal plants such as the families mentioned have not proven this effect; on the other hand, such plants have other therapeutic effects capable of causing changes in the body. Thus, it is for health professionals to be aware about the measures of care adopted by the people.

Objetivo: o objetivo deste estudo foi identificar as plantas medicinais utilizadas como analgésicas por famílias descendentes de pomeranos no Sul do Brasil. Método: Trata-se de um estudo qualitativo, realizado com cinco famílias de agricultores. O local do estudo foi o domicílio das famílias, localizadas na zona rural, sendo os dados coletados entre janeiro e maio de 2011. Os instrumentos utilizados foram a aplicação de uma entrevista semi-estruturada e levantamento etnobotânico das plantas medicinais utilizadas como analgésicas, que posteriormente foram identificadas taxonomicamente. Resultados: foram citadas 105 plantas medicinais, das quais 20 são utilizadas como analgésicas. Conclusão: observa-se que grande parte das plantas medicinais citadas como analgésicas pelas famílias não possuem este efeito comprovado, por outro lado, estas mesmas plantas possuem outros efeitos terapêuticos capazes de provocar alterações no organismo. Com isso, cabe aos profissionais de saúde estar atentos sobre as medidas de cuidado adotadas pelas pessoas.

Objetivo: el objetivo de este estudio fue identificar las plantas medicinales utilizadas como analgésico por las familias descendientes de Pomeranianos en el sur de Brasil. Método: se realizó un estudio cualitativo con cinco familias de agricultores. El sitio de estudio fue el hogar de las familias, que se encuentra en el campo, con los datos recogidos entre enero y mayo de 2011. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron la imposición de una entrevista semi-estructurada y la encuesta etnobotánica de plantas medicinales utilizadas como analgésico, que más tarde fueron identificadas taxonómicamente. Resultados: fueron citadas 105 plantas medicinales, de las cuales 20 se utilizada como analgésicos. Conclusión: se observó que la mayoría de las plantas medicinales mencionadas como analgésicas por las familias no han probado este efecto, por otro lado, estas dichas plantas tienen otros efectos terapéuticos capaces de causar cambios en el cuerpo. Por lo tanto, es para los profesionales de la salud estar conscientes sobre las medidas de cuidado adoptadas por las personas.

Identification of medicinal plants of Urmia for treatment of gastrointestinal disorders

The gastrointestinal tract is one of the most important organs of the human body and is vulnerable to different diseases. Available drugs often have low efficacy or are associated with many adverse effects. Therefore, alternative drugs are necessary to treat gastrointestinal complications. This study intended to identify medicinal plants in Urmia, Iran, that can affect common gastrointestinal disorders and diseases. Data was collected from public resources via interviews and questionnaires applied from April to June 2013. Herbarium specimens were collected from the region and authenticated by a botanist. A total of 41 indigenous medicinal plants from the Urmia region, belonging to twenty families, have a traditional medicinal role in the treatment of parasitic and infectious diseases, diarrhea, reflux, gastroenteritis, peptic ulcer, constipation, bloating, among other gastrointestinal tract disorders. Analysis showed that most plants affecting the gastrointestinal tract belonged in the Asteraceae family (24%). The most used part of the plants was the seed at 17%. Decoction at 65% was the most popular form of treatment used. Some of the medicinal plants discussed in this article have new implications presented for the first time. Pharmacological studies on the therapeutic effects of the indigenous plants mentioned in this study are necessary in order to investigate their claimed clinical effects and the use of their effective compounds to produce natural and useful drugs. Currently, there is no data on the herbal plants used to treat gastrointestinal disorders in northwestern Iran. Therefore, these findings are important for the management of gastrointestinal disorders and to conduct future studies on traditional medicine for drug development.

Ethno-Medicinal Plants of Tahsil Barawal Bandi Dir Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan.

This study is carried out to identify the folk knowledge medicinal plants of Tahsil Barawal Bandi, District, and Dir Upper Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pakistan. Various field trips were made to collect medicinal plants and ethno botanical information. A total of 62 species belonging to 36 families have been found to be used by the local people for curing various diseases. This efforts includes the local name, family name, flowering season, part used and folk knowledge of medicinal plants.

Ethno-Botanical Studies on Some Indigenous Plants Used by the Bodo Tribes of Udalguri District of Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District Area in Assam, India.

Udalguri district of BTAD (Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District) harbors a large numbers of medicinal plants due to its wide range of habitats. The population pattern also indicate wide range tribal localities mainly. Bodo peoples distributed all over the district. An ethnobotanical survey was carried out in the year 2011-2013 in different Bodo areas to assess the traditionally as well as locally used some medicinal plants for various treatments particularly by the Bodo people in that areas. A total of 16 plants were collected and recorded for their uses in various purposes particularly by the local Bodo people in the Udalguri district are enumerated in this short communication.

Estudio de plantas medicinales usadas en la comunidad indígena Tikuna del alto Amazonas, Macedonia / Study of medicinal plants used by the Tikunas indigenous community of the upper Amazon (Macedonia)

Entre Febrero del 2008 y Octubre del 2009, se realizó una investigación de plantas asociadas a las enfermedades más frecuentes en la Comunidad TIKUNA de Macedonia ubicada a 57 km de Leticia. Para realizar este estudio se aplicaron tres tipos de encuestas basadas en las "TRAMIL". A a partir de estas, se establece como resultado el reporte de 115 plantas de valor de uso medicinal dentro de la Comunidad, y 308 remedios aplicados para la cura de diferentes enfermedades. Se presentó un listado que incluye: 109 géneros y 99 especies. Para cada una de las plantas medicinales se reporta el nombre vernáculo, nombre Tikuna, numero de colección, familia taxonómica, usos tradicionales referidos, parte usada, propiedad medicinal, forma de preparación, administración, si la preparación en caso de ser combinada se hace con una planta o animal y si debe tener "dieta"2 o no. Cada planta reportada fue: fotografiada en campo, recolectada e identificada previamente en el SINCHI3 de Leticia, se calculó el nivel de uso significativo TRAMIL, valor de uso general, fitoetnoaloctoneidad y Fitoetnoendemicidad. Se concluye que las familias Arecaceae, Bignoniaceae y Rubiaceae y especies como el Yarumo (Cecropia sciadophylla) el Carambolo (Averrhoa carambola), la una de gato (Uncaria tomentosa), el Acapu (Minquartia guianensis), la Lancetilla (Alternanthera brasiliana), y el Amacizo (Erythrina fusca) tienen un gran valor cultural dentro de la Comunidad. Asimismo, que el uso y aplicación de diferentes plantas que alivien dolencias es compartido por las etnias del Trapecio, pero la validez u orden de importancia de las plantas depende de la cosmología y cosmogonía particular de cada comunidad.

A study of the plants associated with most common diseases in the TIKUNA community of Macedonia (located 57 km from Leticia, Colombia) were carried out from February 2008 to October 2009. Three types of surveys based on the "TRAMIL were applied. Total 115 plants with medicinal use and 308 remedies applied to cure various diseases were determined comprising 109 genera and 99 species. For each plant the vernacular name, Tikunas name, collection number, taxonomic family, traditional uses, part used, medicinal properties, method of preparation and administration, how was prepared (combined with a plant or animal) and whether it should be "diet" or not were documented. Each plant was documented: photographed on the field, collected and identified previously in SINCHI Leticia. The level of TRAMIL significant use value was calculated as well as phytoendemicity and fitoetnoaloctoneidad. Families Arecaceae, Bignoniaceae and species such as the Rubiaceae and Yarumo (Cecropia sciadophylla) the Carambolo (carambola), cat's claw (Uncaria tomentosa), the Acapu (Minquartia guianensis), the Lancetilla (Alternanthera brasiliana) and the Amacizo (Erythrina fusca) have great cultural value within the community. Additionally the use and application of different plants to relieve ailments were found shared by trapezium ethnic, although the validity or importance of plants depends on the cosmology and cosmogony of each community.