Uso de plantas para o tratamento da malária em seis comunidades de Boca do Acre, Amazonas

Abstract

Currently researchers from all over the world are seeking alternatives for the treatment of malaria, especially that caused by Plasmodium falciparum, which has shown resistance to quinine derivatives in several regions of the world. The artemisinin revives the prospect of be found in the amazon environment, some effective specie for the treatment of malaria, among the many used by local residents from the region, as has already occurred with the cinchona tree. These studies, in traditional communities of Boca do Acre city in the state of Amazonas, will contribute to rescue the knowledge and concepts developed on the use and cultivation of antimalarial plants, and contribute positively to the conservation of these plant resources and local culture, as the cities have suffered a large reduction of flora and destruction of habitats, as well as the change in the popular culture of the people living in this biome, due to the big impact of agricultural and livestock practice. The objective was to identify the traditional knowledge through ethnobotanical approach associated with the cultivation, use, management and conservation of antimalarial plant species by traditional communities of Boca do Acre city in the state of Amazonas. The study was conducted in Boca do Acre city, in the area of influence of the middle Purus, selected according to the occurrence of malaria, based on the Annual Parasitic Index (IPA) 2010, provided by the Health Surveillance Foundation (FVS). It was made visits in the houses for the collection of information on respondents, knowledge about malaria and the plants used for prevention, treatment or cure through semi-structured interviews. The collected data were tabulated in Excel. In total 61 people were interviewed, between men and women. The residents of the main communities of this research, have an empirical knowledge about the malaria disease, and its possible implications in their daily lives. Among the group of people selected for the interviews, it was observed that women are the main holders of knowledge related to the use of medicinal plants and that 75% were born in the own city. The age and gender of respondents influence on the use of plants related to the treatment of malaria and associated ills and about 27 people said to have livestock activity as main source of income and 17 people said they had never contracted malaria. Among the informants, malaria is also known as ague and paludismo and the symptoms of malaria cited were fever, body pain, weakness, headache, loss of appetite, cold, bitter mouth, dizziness, eye pain, anemia, liver pain, and malaise. In total were cited 70 plant species used for malaria and its associated maladies, being 23 exclusively for the use of malaria. From the total of cited plants, the majority are from exotic origin, with herbaceous growth habit, cultivated by these populations in their yards. The leaves and barks are the main parts of the plants used in the preparation of medicines, especially in the form of infusion. With regard to medicinal plant production systems, some concern with maintaining local biodiversity was observed. The results of this study show that the concern with maintaining the biodiversity of the Amazon region is true, because the region still has a large number of species with medicinal potential, but still unknown by pharmaceutical companies. The traditional knowledge associated with the use of plants will actually help in the discovery of chemical compounds directed to diseases, especially malaria.