The Use of Medicinal Plants in Maceió, Northeastern Brazil: An Ethnobotanical Survey

Background: The purpose of this study was to record and analyze the knowledge of medicinal plant use in the community in urban areas of Maceió city, Brazil. Methods: A total of 113 patients from the basic healthcare unit were assessed. Results: Approximately 95% of the interviewed stated that the plants were used for medicinal purposes. The majority of respondents were women (94.7%) who were between 51-60 years of age. Forty-eight plant species belonging to 28 families were cited as useful for medicinal purposes. The main families encountered were Lamiaceae (16.6%), Asteraceae (8.3%), Myrtaceae (6.2%), Fabaceae (6.2%), Annonaceae (4.1%), Laureaceae (4.1%), Rutaceae (4.1%), and Zingiberaceae (4.1%). These plants were used to treat a wide range of disturbances, including gastrointestinal, respiratory, and cardiovascular diseases. The majority of the respondents used decoctions of leaves that were cultivated in house (58.4%) to make their herbal preparations. The respondents revealed that medicinal plant preparations were safe and unaware of that are risks associated with their use. Conclusions: Medicinal plants still play an important role in the medical practices of the urban population from Maceió, Brazil. Our results highlight the importance of these plants for local people and indicate the need for further scientific investigations to validate their use as a complementary therapy for disease control.