The cultural dissemination of plant complexes in popular medicine in the state of Alagoas
a systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51473/rcmos.v1i1.2021.207Keywords:
Biological Sciences, Alternative Methods, Didactic TourAbstract
Plant complexes are mixtures of plants, in which several species are associated with each other in closed containers, together with alcoholic and sweetened substances, forming over the days a substance used to cure illnesses. They are exemplified by bottles, syrups, and lickers. Seeking to understand the biocultural aspects associated with these preparations is essential, as they play a historical and traditional role for different local populations in Northeastern Brazil. Thus, this work aimed to investigate the role and composition of plant complexes used by folk medicine in the state of Alagoas through a systematic review. For this, we carried out searches for ethnobotanical works carried out in Alagoas that showed complex plants used in the region. To search for the works, we used keywords in Portuguese and English on the Google Academic and Scielo platforms, which were selected and analyzed. We identified 169 vegetable complexes through 6 categories of use (41 lickers, 41 bottles, 11 medicinal baths, 53 teas, 16 syrups and 07 juices. A total of 70 species were identified (32 are exotic and 38 are native) used in the preparations. Such complexes are used to cure various illnesses, especially those associated with the respiratory system. Plant complexes play a significant role for people in the region, as in addition to being used for medicinal purposes, they are part of the sociocultural aspects of the region. This work effectively contributes to the dissemination of biocultural aspects associated with plant complexes in popular medicine in the state of Alagoas and serves as a subsidy for carrying out new related works.