Levantamento etnofarmacologico e triagem fitoquímica de plantas medicinais utilizadas por pacientes que realizam tratamento oncológico no Hospital Regional do Baixo Amazonas, Santarém-Pa

Abstract

Ethnopharmacology is the branch of science that studies traditional knowledge about the use of medicinal plants by a given population and applies technical and scientific knowledge, which allows the investigation of the pharmacological properties of these plant species, thus enabling the discovery of new alternatives for the treatment of diseases, including cancer. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the main medicinal plant species used by patients undergoing oncological treatment, as well as to conduct phytochemical screening of the three species most often mentioned by patients.This is a field, descriptive, exploratory and documental research with a quantitative and qualitative approach, developed during the months of November and December 2021 and January 2022, at the Hospital Regional do Baixo Amazonas (HRBA). The research consisted of two stages: the first was the interview, the second wasthe investigation of the three most cited species, and finally the phytochemical screening.The sample was composed of 592 patients, and the three species selected for analysis were Annona muricata L. (soursop), Tabebuia impetiginosa (Purple Trumpet Tree), and Arrabidaea chica (Crajiru). Thin layer chromatography (TLC) and chemical reactions resulting in the development ofcoloration and/or precipitate were used for phytochemicalscreening. Regarding the profile of the research participants, it was verified thatthe average age was 56.11 years, with a minimum of18 and a maximum of89 years. Withregard to education, it was found that 28.55% have completed high school. Regarding theuse of medicinal plants used as complementary treatment to radiotherapy and chemotherapy, it was found that 56.59% of patients use them. When asked about how they acquired the knowledge about the use of medicinal plants, it was found that 33.78%learned from grandparents and great-grandparents, while 10.81% reported learning through healers. The ethnopharmacological survey verified 57 different species, distributed in 39 families and used to treat 41 types of cancer. As for the phytochemical screening, it was possible to verify that the three extracts analyzed presented the suggestive presence of secondary metabolites. It was possible to verify that the patients seen at the HRBA presented a disparity in terms of age, ranging from adolescence to old age. Another preponderant factor was the level of education, since most patients presented low levels of education. It was also clear that these patients use this resource as a complementary treatment for cancer, which represents a risk to their health, considering that the plants used were not prescribed by a doctor or other qualified professional.