Medicinal plants at the Sítio do Gois, Apodi, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil

ABSTRACT

Rural communities have accumulated knowledge about survival techniques in the midst of difficulties, such as ecological, economic or social, and one of the transformation spaces and extraction of resources to these communities is the natural vegetation and homegarden. The aim of this study was to list medicinal plants and characterize the use of these plants at the Sítio do Gois, Apodi-RN, Brazil. Open-interview, semi-structured and guided tours by local experts (field guide person, foresters, herb doctors, healers, farmers, housewives) were realized. Medicinal plants are distributed in 34 families, 46 genera and 52 species. The family with the greatest number of individuals was Lamiaceae (seven species). The species most mentioned were Amburana cearensis (77 percent) followed by 69 percent de citation of Myracrodruon urundeuva, Sideroxylon obtusifolium, Ximenia americana. Informants are aware of specific uses of native medicinal plants of the caatinga and homegardens. The most common preparations are teas and syrups, used part is the leaf and stem bark and great number of citations for disorders of the digestive and respiratory systems. The most important species with greater use agreement were A. cearensis M. urundeuva, S. obtusifolium and X. americana they deserve pharmacological studies and validation.