Etnobotânica e fisiologia do estresse em plantas medicinais

Abstract

The use of plants has always been common to all people. In Brazil, the rise of folk medicine with use of plants is due to the Indians, with contributions of blacks and Europeans. Currently 80% of the population depends on traditional practices in primary health care, and 85% of that portion using plants. This study sought to understand the physiology of medicinal plants from the ethnobotanical study of rural communities in the municipality of Santarém and sought to develop a cropping pattern related to solar radiation, irrigation and soil fertility in order to optimize the production of herbal drugs of local interest. To this end, we analyzed the traditional pattern of use of medicinal plants and responses of selected species for physiological characteristics opposite to changes in their culture environment through knowledge of the responses of plants to drought stress; stress soil fertility and light stress. To perform the Ethnobotanical study was applied to the participants of “Arranjo Produtivo Local de Plantas Medicinais de Santarém” a semi structured questionnaire in order to know the pattern of use of medicinal plants in the region. We analyzed the relative frequency of citations, use value, the level of fidelity, the relative popularity and the order of priority of each species. For the study of Plant Physiology three species were chosen (Cidreira, Cumaruzinho and Lemongrass). They were submitted to controlled planting and cultivation by subjecting them to two soil treatments, two solar radiation treatments and two irrigation treatments. The variables analyzed in this phase were stomatal conductance, Specific Leaf Area and Biomass Partitioning.