HERBAL THERAPY USED IN AFRO-INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES FOR ANIMALS AND PEOPLE

Authors

  • Maiza Araújo Cordão Facene/Famene

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17695/rcsne.vol22.n3.p283-293

Keywords:

African origin, Candomblé, Ethnobotany., Phytotherapy, Traditional knowledge

Abstract

Ethnobotany is the ethnographic study of plants and herbs transmitted through the oratory of a given ethnic group. The African-based religion, Candomblé, stores and transmits medicinal knowledge in its practices such as the use of herbs and plants that, in their biochemical context, are effective against various clinical pathologies. With the pharmaceutical industry growing, the context for research into new drugs and options for medicinal treatment is also expanded in science, thus giving rise to herbal medicine. In addition to reducing the economic cost, as it is an abundant raw material, that is, it is very present even in the backyards of homes, phytotherapy provides a variety of efficient therapeutic options to treat pathologies. The objective of the work was to identify the herbal medicinal knowledge used in some communities of African origin in the municipality of João Pessoa-PB. Interviews were carried out using a questionnaire with babalorixás and yalorixás in the municipality. The information collected from the priests brought diverse knowledge such as the use of O. basilicum (basil) in the treatment of colic in newborn children, respiratory and stomach problems. The herbal knowledge of priests in Afro-Brazilian communities is broad and applicable in the treatment of various pathologies. 100% of the priests claimed to have already used herbs and plants to treat children of the house, and 80% of the priests to treat non-human animals, among the herbs and plants mentioned, some are: pork thorn, São gonçalinho, tipí , mastruz, aroeira, caapeba, aloe vera, peppermint, myrrh, boldo, rosemary, basil, and infectious and gastrointestinal diseases, pain, wounds, and even more complex infections such as pneumonia were treated. It was observed that priests use various medicinal plants and herbs for various symptoms, from topical to oral uses, both in humans and animals. Which brings us to the possibility of using this knowledge in single health medicine.

Published

2024-12-17

How to Cite

Cordão, M. A. (2024). HERBAL THERAPY USED IN AFRO-INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES FOR ANIMALS AND PEOPLE. Revista De Ciências Da Saúde Nova Esperança, 22(3), 283–293. https://doi.org/10.17695/rcsne.vol22.n3.p283-293

Issue

Section

Ciências Agrárias/Artigo Original

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