Use of medicinal animals in the community of Bom Sucesso, Soledade, Paraíba State, Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.13102/scb8085Abstract
Although several animal species have been used for therapeutic purposes in Brazil, researches on this subject are still scarce. Some of these animals are registered in books and Red Lists of rare or threatened species, which shows the need to consider tzootherapy in a conservationist perspective. By that context, the present work aimed to inventory the medicinal animal species used in rural areas of the municipality district of Soledade, Paraíba State. The data were collected from visits to rural residents who answered semi-structured questionnaires. The results showed that 23 medicinal animal species are used for the treatment of 25 diseases. The animals can be used entirely or in parts, sometimes associated with medicinal plants. Besides the cultural aspects, zootherapy is also influenced by socioeconomic context, since animal-based medicines are alternativelly employed against the allopathic drugs. Further studies on the use of animals as medicine should be made, since such practices are common in Brazil and have implications for the conservation and sustainability of animals.
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