Medicinal plants for digestive disorders: a review of ethnobotanical studies conducted in southern Brazil
Plantas medicinales para los trastornos digestivos: una revisión de estudios etnobotánicos realizados en el sur de Brasil
Bol. latinoam. Caribe plantas med. aromát; 22 (6), 2023
Publication year: 2023
This review focuses on plant species traditionally used in Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina
and Paraná states (southern Brazil) for the relief of digestive disorders.
Fifty ethnobotanical studies were
compiled, resulting in 384 species mentioned, of which those cited in common to every state were
selected. The search retrieved 63 native species used to alleviate gastrointestinal disorders, distributed in
21 botanical fa
milies, mainly Asteraceae, Lamiaceae and Myrtaceae. The most cited species include
Achyrocline satureioides
(82%),
Eugenia uniflora
(70%),
Baccharis crispa
(46%),
Psidium cattleyanum
(36%),
Solanum paniculatum
(36%) and
Monteverdia ilicifolia
(34%). Scient
ific studies have
corroborated their popular use for the relief the gastrointestinal disorders, but most of them are preclinical
and mainly exploratory. In conclusion, the folk use of medicinal species with therapeutic purposes is
widespread in southern Br
azil, but further studies are needed to guarantee their efficacy and safety.
Esta revisión presenta especies de plantas utilizadas en Rio Gra
nde do Sul, Santa Catarina y
Paraná (Sur de Brasil) con enfoque en el alivio de los trastornos digestivos. Se recopilaron 50 estudios
etnobotánicos en los que se mencionaron un total de 384 especies, siendo seleccionadas las especies en
común a todos los e
stados. La búsqueda recuperó 63 especies nativas citadas como utilizadas para aliviar
trastornos gastrointestinales, distribuidas en 21 familias botánicas, principalmente Asteraceae, Lamiaceae
y Myrtaceae.