Medicinal Plants Classification Biosynthesis and ... - Index of

Pharmacologic Study of Some Plant Species from The Brazilian Northeast
available next to their house or in little markets. This phytotherapy is called empiric
phytotherapy (Matos, 2007).
In Brazilian Northeast, the people use about 700 species of plants for folk medicine.
They self-medicate or are instructed by herb sellers, healers or rezadeiras. However,
according to experimental data, especially pharmacologic, only 70 species are really
medicinal and can be recommended for phytotherapic programs. This information does not
mean that they do not have curative properties, but that the experiments cannot prove their
effects (Matos, 2007).
Matos (1998) developed, in State of Ceará (Brazilian Northeast), a Project named Living
Pharmacies, with the aim of giving assistance to communities which received few help from
public health programs. These communities are instructed to use correctly plants with
scientific proven actions (Table 1). This program encouraged studies on the uses and
activities of these traditional plants and their products (Agra et al., 2007; Quintans-Júnior et
al., 2002).
Many of the plants in Table 1 are widely used in Brazilian Northeast and have their
effects proven by many studies. However, they need more specific chemical studies, in order
to identify their active principles, and pharmacodynamic studies, to identify target for action,
action mechanism and therapeutic doses.
At the Laboratory of Neuropsychopharmacology and Medicinal Plants of Ceará Federal
University, our group studies the action of folk medicine plants of Northeast, such as
Calotropis procera, Agave sisalana, Solanum paludosum, Dioscorea cayenensis and
Crotalaria retusa. In this chapter, we discuss the pharmacologic and therapeutic activities of
these species.
Table 1. Plants whose active principles are pharmacologically proven.
Popular Name Species Activity
Aroeira-dapraia
Chambá
Shinus Terebinthifloius
Raddi
Justicia pectoralis var.
stenohylla Leon
Anti-inflammatory, heal mucosal wounds
Anti-inflammatory, bronchodilator, antirheumatic
Courama Kalanchoe brasiliensis Local and systemic anti-inflammatory
Cumaru Amburana cearensis
Bronchodilator, expectorant and systemic antiinflammatory,
anti-cholinesterase activity
GoiabeiravermelhaHortelãrasteira
Psidium guajava
Anti-diarrhea, antibiotic for Shigella, Salmonella
and Serratia
Mentha x villosa var. Antibiotic for Amoeba, Giardia and Trichomonas
Malva-santa Plectrantghus barbatus Gastric hypo-secretor
Mavariço Plectranthus amboinicus Systemic anti-inflammatory
Melão-desão-caetano
Momordica charantia Anti-exoparasites, anti-larval for Ancylostoma
Mentrasto Ageratum conyzoides
Local and systemic anti-inflammatory, local and
systemic anti-rheumatic, antitumoral
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