The use and diversity of medicinal flora sold at the open market in the city of Oeiras, semiarid region of Piauí, Brazil

Abstract

Background: Medicinal plants are important resources in people’s health care. In urban areas, they are commercialized in open markets. The goal of this paper is to know the medicinal plants marketed in the Oeiras/PI free trade fair and the associated knowledge attached to it.

Methods: Interviews were carried out with the seven licensees who traded medical ethnospecies at the free trade fair of the municipality, through the application of semi structured forms. Species similarity and richness were calculated using the Shannon-Wiener and Jaccard index. For the informant's consensus Factor, the Loyalty Level was calculated.

Results: We identified 60 species, belonging to 34 botanical families, with greater representativity for Fabaceae (16 ssp.). The most used plant organs were leaves (29,9%) and stems (20,8%) and the predominant preparation method of herbal medicine was tea (decoction and infusion, 26,9% and 20,8%, respectively). Ximenia americana L. showed greater use and Amburana cearensis (Allemão) AC Sm. was the most versatile species. The most usual citation was for the treatment of symptoms of the respiratory and genitourinary systems disorders. It was verified that the fair is an important space for maintenance, (re) construction and diffusion of the local culture on the use of medicinal plants.

Conclusions: Public policies should include these spaces in the establishment of standards and specific guidelines that guarantee the permanence of sellers and the safe and sustainable use of flora resources.

Keywords: herbal plants merchants, ethnobotany, ethnomedicine, market.