Ethnobotany of medicinal plants of Madre de Deus, Bahia

Abstract

With the objective to rescue and to systematize the popular information about species used for therapy within a community of Madre de Deus, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted. This survey gathered local knowledge about plant species’ usefulness with previously recorded knowledge. Questionnaires were randomly distributed among 120 women over 35 years old, asking for popular names, parts used, methods of preparation, and therapeutic indications of the plants. Much information was known on the part of the community as to the natural resources and their uses as medicines. There remains a need to study plants used for medicinal ends, especially plants that are not validated scientifically, or are potentially poisonous, improving the quality of life of the population.