Plants used traditionally to treat malaria in Brazil: the archives of Flora Medicinal

<p>Abstract</p> <p>The archives of Flora Medicinal, an ancient pharmaceutical laboratory that supported ethnomedical research in Brazil for more than 30 years, were searched for plants with antimalarial use. Forty plant species indicated to treat malaria were described by Dr. J. Mo...

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Main Author: Botsaris Alexandros S
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2007-05-01
Series:Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
Online Access:http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/3/1/18
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spelling doaj-4b95157e5d1849ecb03fdf736932fd252020-11-25T00:21:13ZengBMCJournal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine1746-42692007-05-01311810.1186/1746-4269-3-18Plants used traditionally to treat malaria in Brazil: the archives of Flora MedicinalBotsaris Alexandros S<p>Abstract</p> <p>The archives of Flora Medicinal, an ancient pharmaceutical laboratory that supported ethnomedical research in Brazil for more than 30 years, were searched for plants with antimalarial use. Forty plant species indicated to treat malaria were described by Dr. J. Monteiro da Silva (Flora Medicinal leader) and his co-workers. Eight species, <it>Bathysa cuspidata</it>, <it>Cosmos sulphureus</it>, <it>Cecropia hololeuca</it>, <it>Erisma calcaratum</it>, <it>Gomphrena arborescens</it>, <it>Musa paradisiaca</it>, <it>Ocotea odorifera</it>, and <it>Pradosia lactescens</it>, are related as antimalarial for the first time in ethnobotanical studies. Some species, including <it>Mikania glomerata</it>, <it>Melampodium divaricatum</it>, <it>Galipea multiflora</it>, <it>Aspidosperma polyneuron</it>, and <it>Coutarea hexandra</it>, were reported to have activity in malaria patients under clinical observation. In the information obtained, also, there were many details about the appropriate indication of each plant. For example, some plants are indicated to increase others' potency. There are also plants that are traditionally employed for specific symptoms or conditions that often accompany malaria, such as weakness, renal failure or cerebral malaria. Many plants that have been considered to lack activity against malaria due to absence of in vitro activity against <it>Plasmodium </it>can have other mechanisms of action. Thus researchers should observe ethnomedical information before deciding which kind of screening should be used in the search of antimalarial drugs.</p> http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/3/1/18
collection DOAJ
language English
format Article
sources DOAJ
author Botsaris Alexandros S
spellingShingle Botsaris Alexandros S
Plants used traditionally to treat malaria in Brazil: the archives of Flora Medicinal
Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
author_facet Botsaris Alexandros S
author_sort Botsaris Alexandros S
title Plants used traditionally to treat malaria in Brazil: the archives of Flora Medicinal
title_short Plants used traditionally to treat malaria in Brazil: the archives of Flora Medicinal
title_full Plants used traditionally to treat malaria in Brazil: the archives of Flora Medicinal
title_fullStr Plants used traditionally to treat malaria in Brazil: the archives of Flora Medicinal
title_full_unstemmed Plants used traditionally to treat malaria in Brazil: the archives of Flora Medicinal
title_sort plants used traditionally to treat malaria in brazil: the archives of flora medicinal
publisher BMC
series Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine
issn 1746-4269
publishDate 2007-05-01
description <p>Abstract</p> <p>The archives of Flora Medicinal, an ancient pharmaceutical laboratory that supported ethnomedical research in Brazil for more than 30 years, were searched for plants with antimalarial use. Forty plant species indicated to treat malaria were described by Dr. J. Monteiro da Silva (Flora Medicinal leader) and his co-workers. Eight species, <it>Bathysa cuspidata</it>, <it>Cosmos sulphureus</it>, <it>Cecropia hololeuca</it>, <it>Erisma calcaratum</it>, <it>Gomphrena arborescens</it>, <it>Musa paradisiaca</it>, <it>Ocotea odorifera</it>, and <it>Pradosia lactescens</it>, are related as antimalarial for the first time in ethnobotanical studies. Some species, including <it>Mikania glomerata</it>, <it>Melampodium divaricatum</it>, <it>Galipea multiflora</it>, <it>Aspidosperma polyneuron</it>, and <it>Coutarea hexandra</it>, were reported to have activity in malaria patients under clinical observation. In the information obtained, also, there were many details about the appropriate indication of each plant. For example, some plants are indicated to increase others' potency. There are also plants that are traditionally employed for specific symptoms or conditions that often accompany malaria, such as weakness, renal failure or cerebral malaria. Many plants that have been considered to lack activity against malaria due to absence of in vitro activity against <it>Plasmodium </it>can have other mechanisms of action. Thus researchers should observe ethnomedical information before deciding which kind of screening should be used in the search of antimalarial drugs.</p>
url http://www.ethnobiomed.com/content/3/1/18
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