ibclogo XVI International Botanical Congess


Abstract Number: 4975
Poster No. = 2441


INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH PROGRAM ON MEDICINAL PLANTS TO GENERATE PROPOSALS OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT OF THE COASTAL ZONE OF PARANA STATE, SOUTH BRAZIL


R. R. B. Negrelle, M. E. Doni, M. R. T. Boeger, NIMAD, Laboratory of Ecology, Depto. Botany, UFPR/Curitiba-Paraná-Brazil


The coast of the state of Paraná, especially in its north portion where the native vegetation corresponds to one of the best preserved area of Atlantic Forest in Brazil, includes an valuable stock of medicinal species whose economic or chemical value are still not well known. Starting from a strategy interdisciplinar, this project had, as initial objective, the evaluation of the market of medicinal plants in order to detect economic selected and ecologically viable species for commercialization, as an alternative crop for local population, in its majority small farmers and fishermen. This preliminary diagnosis evidenced about twenty marketed native species, especially in the area of Guaraqueçaba. These species are obtained through an exclusively extrativist process, which does not help improving the quality of life of local communities. Due to the high market value detected for some of these species, scientific information on autoecologia, better propagation form and cultivation/production system was gathered. This data is being passed to the local communities in order to help increasing family income and to alleviate environmental pressures on the forest remainders in the area. Methods of quality control for trade and industrialization of these plants are being also studied. At the same time, a complementary ethnobotanical study have been carrying out in this region. Those medicinal plant species that have no record of chemical analysis are being submitted to a complex studied that includes screening, fractionation and chemical analysis, testing for in vivo activity, toxicity studies, pharmacokinetic analysis and clinical trials.


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