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Perspectives on Medicinal Plants in Public Markets across the Amazon: A Review

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Perspectives on Medicinal Plants in Public Markets across the Amazon: A Review. Vendors in markets and street fairs in tropical urban centers play an important role in structuring the exploitation and distribution of non–timber forest products, including many medicinal plant species. This literature review seeks to estimate and compare the species richness of medicinal plants in urban markets across northern South America, focusing on the Amazon region. Information was systematized from scientific articles and research papers emerging from work carried out in Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Guiana, Suriname, and French Guiana. Given the variation in botanical naming conventions, results were standardized using the APG III system. A total of 16 studies were reviewed, most of these coming from Brazil (5), Venezuela (3), Colombia (2), and Peru (2). Overall 844 species were identified, varying between 16 and 251 species per study, with a median of 91 (±63). The highest diversity of medicinal plant species was found in Suriname (251) and Venezuela (164). Among the 133 families identified, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Lamiaceae had the highest number of species overall. The most common plant parts encountered were leaves (324), followed by bark (162), whole plants (130), aerial parts (88), roots (80), fruit (76), and seeds (63). Ethnobotanical studies in urban centers are important for understanding the exploitation of botanical resources in different Amazonian ecosystems, highlighting the use of different species in regional pharmacopeias and pointing towards factors that could influence the conservation of medicinal plants.

Perspectivas sobre plantas medicinais em mercados públicos da Amazônia: uma revisão. Nos centros urbanos, as feiras e mercados têm grande importância botânica, por permitirem o intercâmbio e distribuição de produtos florestais não madeireiros. Este trabalho visou realizar um levantamento dos estudos sobre plantas medicinais em mercados do norte da América do Sul, com enfoque na região amazônica, procurando verificar a riqueza de espécies e a variação desta entre regiões. Foram compiladas informações de artigos e trabalhos acadêmicos realizados na Bolívia, Brasil, Colômbia, Equador, Peru, Venezuela, Guiana, Suriname e Guiana Francesa. Em função dos estudos apresentarem diferentes sistemas de classificação botânica, foi realizada a padronização para o sistema APG III. Catalogaram–se 16 trabalhos, com destaque para o Brasil (5), Venezuela (3), Colômbia (2) e Peru (2). A riqueza total foi de 844 espécies, com uma variação de 16 e 251 espécies por estudo e média 91±63 espécies. As riquezas botânicas mais expressivas foram observadas no Suriname (251) e na Venezuela (164). Entre as 133 famílias documentadas, Fabaceae, Asteraceae e Lamiaceae se sobressaíram. Quanto às partes vegetativas aproveitadas, folha (324), casca (162), planta inteira (130), parte aérea (88), raiz (80), fruto (76) e semente (63) se destacaram. As pesquisas etnobotânicas nestes espaços foram importantes para catalogação dos recursos biológicos aproveitados nos diferentes ecossistemas amazônicos, tendo possibilitado avanços no sentido de entender a riqueza de espécies nas fitofarmacopeias regionais e os fatores que interferem na conservação de plantas medicinais.

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Acknowledgments

We thank the Botany Coordination of the Emilio Goeldi Museum of Pará for the support to the survey; the Capacity Building Program (Programa de Capacitação Institucional—PCI/MCTI) of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (Brazilian Government), process number 304028 / 2013–4; and Umberto Lombardo, for providing the geospatial information related to the Amazon region.

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    Pedro Glécio Costa Lima, Márlia Coelho–Ferreira & Ronize da Silva Santos

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Lima, P.G.C., Coelho–Ferreira, M. & da Silva Santos, R. Perspectives on Medicinal Plants in Public Markets across the Amazon: A Review. Econ Bot 70, 64–78 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12231-016-9338-y

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