KNOWLEDGE ABOUT MEDICINAL PLANTS AMONG ECOLOGICAL FARMERS IN SOUTHERN RIO GRANDE DO SUL

• Main Authors: Teila Ceolin, Rita Maria Heck, Rosa Lía Barbieri
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Universidade Federal do Paraná 2010-03-01
• Series: Cogitare Enfermagem
• Subjects: Culture; Family health; Nursing care; Plants; medicinal
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.5380/ce.v15i1.17190

It is among the family members that oral information about the habits and health care are spread, and also theuse of medicinal plants. This study aimed to analyze the transmission of knowledge related to medicinal plants amongfamily generations and know the transmission networks of knowledge, involving ecological farmers in Southern RioGrande do Sul are. The study of qualitative, descriptive and exploratory approach, was conducted with 8 ecological farmfamilies, in a total of 19 respondents living in the counties of Pelotas, Morro Redondo, Canguçu and Arroio do Padre. Datacollection occurred between January and May 2009. Were used semi-structured interviews, the construction of thegenogram and eco-map as tools, as well as the observation of plants with photographic record and georeferencing. Datawere analyzed and grouped into three themes: an ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants cited by the interviewees;contextualization of farmers in study, and the knowledge about medicinal plants in different family groups. Among thosesubjects interviewed, 16 were women, highlighting their importance in the transmission of knowledge between familygenerations. The respondents cited 196 medicinal plants, some of them were native from the Rio Grande do Sul State andothers were exotics, and 7 elixirs. The popular name given to some medicinal plants varied from each family investigated,occurring also the assignment of the same name for plants of different genera. The family was referred to as the mainsource in the transmission of knowledge about medicinal plants, followed by women’s groups and / or church community,among others. Most subjects reported that they first enroll a treatment with medicinal plants, and after they seek the formalhealth service. Plants are used as a practice in health care among farmers who exchange their knowledge among themselvesand with other community members. Nursing, in the search for a comprehensive care, must understand the cultural contextin which the individual and his family are inserted, their care practices and the transmission networks of popular knowledge.