Perception about the use of medicinal plants and impacts on the Cerrado in the region of Goiás (GO, Brazil)

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants for therapeutic purposes is a practice used from the earliest days of humanity until to the present days. The Cerrado is considered a biodiversity hotspot. Of all the floristic diversity existing in the biome there are approximately 220 medicinal species that are used directly by human. The aim of this work was to evaluate the perception of population of the City of Goiás about using medicinal plants and the environmental impacts on the Cerrado vegetation. A total of 40 interviews were conducted with residents of the municipality through a direct approach using a semi-structured questionnaire. The questions were related to the use of medicinal plants and the perception about environmental impacts on the vegetation of the place. The most frequently mentioned species were Lippia alba, Stryphnodendron adstringens, Lychnophora spp. and Vernonanthura polyanthes, the most used part of the plant is the leaf, followed by the bark. People identified the Cerrado by plants, most of them cited Anacardium spp. and Caryocar brasiliense, 92% said they noticed a decrease in medicinal plants over the years, deforestation was pointed out as the main cause, followed by extractivism predatory. The use of medicinal plants in the municipality of Goiás is a common and important practice for population, however, the interviewees reported that over the time vegetation has decreased due to the action of human being. In this way, it becomes necessary measures of awareness and protection of the Cerrado for the maintenance of biodiversity and popular culture related to the use of medicinal plants.