Traditional uses of American plant species from the 1st edition of Brazilian Official Pharmacopoeia

The first edition of the Brazilian Official Pharmacopoeia (FBRAS), published in 1929, is a rich source of information about American medicinal plants, since it lists species used in both traditional and conventional medicine. In this study, we have performed a survey of the traditional uses of plants described in eighty-seven Monographs from the FBRAS in twenty bibliographies written from the 19th century to the 1970s. Eighty-six different traditional uses are described in three or more books; some of them were cited in ten or more books, illustrating their widespread use and importance in medicine. The species from the first edition of the FBRAS have a long tradition of medical utility, which is confirmed by historical records. In surveying these medically relevant species, we hope to encourage policy makers and the scientific public as a whole to engage in a strong debate in an attempt to improve and facilitate the pharmacological study of these species.

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Brandão,Maria G. L., Cosenza,Gustavo P., Grael,Cristiane F. F., Netto Junior,Nilton L., Monte-Mór,Roberto L. M.
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Sociedade Brasileira de Farmacognosia 2009
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0102-695X2009000300023
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Summary:The first edition of the Brazilian Official Pharmacopoeia (FBRAS), published in 1929, is a rich source of information about American medicinal plants, since it lists species used in both traditional and conventional medicine. In this study, we have performed a survey of the traditional uses of plants described in eighty-seven Monographs from the FBRAS in twenty bibliographies written from the 19th century to the 1970s. Eighty-six different traditional uses are described in three or more books; some of them were cited in ten or more books, illustrating their widespread use and importance in medicine. The species from the first edition of the FBRAS have a long tradition of medical utility, which is confirmed by historical records. In surveying these medically relevant species, we hope to encourage policy makers and the scientific public as a whole to engage in a strong debate in an attempt to improve and facilitate the pharmacological study of these species.