Ann Pharm Fr. 1990 ; 48(3): 120-8.

[Botany and phytotherapy in Brazil]

Plumel MM.

After a general survey of botanical exploration in Amazonia in the past and a summary of the present situation, an account is given of the work carried out in the field and the herbarium is search of plant species of potential therapeutic interest. The potential resources of these vast forests are far from being completely explored and still contain a number of unstudied species. Despite the low probability of major discoveries in this field, a promising approach involves the rational collection of data on traditional medicine, the precise identification of species utilized, and the scientific evaluation of their true properties. As an example, a short list of plants commonly utilized for folk medicine in Amazonia and north-eastern Brazil illustrates the importance of phytotherapy for peoples often deprived of other therapeutic means.