Medicinal Animals Used in Ethnoveterinary Practices of the 'Cariri Paraibano', NE Brazil

Overview

Journal J Ethnobiol Ethnomed

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialties General Medicine
Social Sciences

Date 2011 Oct 12

PMID 21985401

Citations 18

Authors

Wedson M S Souto

Jose S Mourao

Raynner R D Barboza

Livia E T Mendonca

Reinaldo F P Lucena

Maine V A Confessor

Washington L S Vieira

Paulo F G P Montenegro

Luiz C S Lopez

ROmulo R N Alves

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Zootherapy is important in various socio-cultural environments, and innumerous examples of the use of animal derived remedies can currently be found in many urban, semi-urban and more remote localities in all parts of the world, particularly in developing countries. However, although a number of ethnobiological inventories concerning the use of medicinal animals in human health care have been compiled in Brazil in recent years, zootherapeutic practices in ethnoveterinary medicine (EVM) are poorly described and neglected in favor of human ethnomedicine. In this sense, the purpose of this study was to describe the local zootherapeutic practices in ethnoveterinary medicine of semi-arid of NE Brazil (Caatinga biome) and to contribute to future research about the validation of the effects and side effects of these animal products

Methods: The information obtained through semi-structured interviews was complemented by free interviews and informal conversations. A total of 67 people were interviewed (53 men and 14 women) about the use and commercialization of medicinal animals. To determine the relative importance of each local known species, their use-values (UV) were calculated. Diversity of species utilized was compared, between localities, using rarefaction curves and diversity estimate (Chao2)

Results And Conclusions: A total of 44 animal species (37 vertebrates and 7 invertebrates), distributed among 6 taxonomic categories were found to be used to treat 30 different ailments in livestock and pets. The results of our surveys revealed a rich traditional knowledge of local residents about the use of animals in traditional veterinary medicine. Although it is gradually being discontinued, the perceived efficacy, economic and geographic accessibility were main reasons for popularity of zootherapy in studied areas.

Citing Articles

Wildlife as Food and Medicine in Brazil: A Neglected Zoonotic Risk?.

Zeppelini C, Carneiro I, Mascarenhas de Abreu P, Linder A, Alves R, Costa F Pathogens. 2024; 13(3).

PMID: 38535565 PMC: 10975579. DOI: 10.3390/pathogens13030222.

Principle of Hot and Cold and Its Clinical Application in Latin American and Caribbean Medicines.

Vasquez-Londono C, Cubillos-Cuadrado L, Forero-Ozer A, Escobar-Espinosa P, Cubillos-Lopez D, Castano-Betancur D Adv Exp Med Biol. 2022; 1343:57-83.

PMID: 35015277 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-80983-6_5.

Relics and Historical Uses of Human Zootherapeutic Products in Contemporary Spanish Ethnoveterinary Medicine.

Gonzalez J, Vallejo J Vet Sci. 2021; 8(12).

PMID: 34941850 PMC: 8707080. DOI: 10.3390/vetsci8120323.

Ethno-veterinary uses of Poaceae in Punjab, Pakistan.

Majeed M, Bhatti K, Amjad M, Abbasi A, Bussmann R, Nawaz F PLoS One. 2020; 15(11):e0241705.

PMID: 33142315 PMC: 7608896. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241705.

Ethno-medicinal uses of vertebrates in the Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape, central Nepal.

Adhikari J, Bhattarai B, Rokaya M, Thapa T PLoS One. 2020; 15(10):e0240555.

PMID: 33125389 PMC: 7598503. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0240555.

References

Soejarto D . Biodiversity prospecting and benefit-sharing: perspectives from the field. J Ethnopharmacol. 1996; 51(1-3):1-15. DOI: 10.1016/0378-8741(95)01345-8. View

Souto W, Mourao J, Barboza R, Alves R . Parallels between zootherapeutic practices in ethnoveterinary and human complementary medicine in northeastern Brazil. J Ethnopharmacol. 2011; 134(3):753-67. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.01.041. View

Alves R . Animal-based remedies as complementary medicine in Brazil. Forsch Komplementmed. 2008; 15(4):226-7. DOI: 10.1159/000144178. View

Viegi L, Pieroni A, Guarrera P, Vangelisti R . A review of plants used in folk veterinary medicine in Italy as basis for a databank. J Ethnopharmacol. 2003; 89(2-3):221-44. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2003.08.003. View

Lans C, Turner N, Khan T, Brauer G, Boepple W . Ethnoveterinary medicines used for ruminants in British Columbia, Canada. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2007; 3:11. PMC: 1831764. DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-3-11. View

Moura F, Marques J . [Folk medicine using animals in the Chapada Diamantina: incidental medicine?]. Cien Saude Colet. 2008; 13 Suppl 2:2179-88. DOI: 10.1590/s1413-81232008000900023. View

Cox P, Balick M . The ethnobotanical approach to drug discovery. Sci Am. 1994; 270(6):82-7. View

Bonet M, Valles J . Ethnobotany of Montseny biosphere reserve (Catalonia, Iberian Peninsula): plants used in veterinary medicine. J Ethnopharmacol. 2006; 110(1):130-47. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2006.09.016. View

Confessor M, Mendonca L, Mourao J, Alves R . Animals to heal animals: ethnoveterinary practices in semiarid region, northeastern Brazil. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2009; 5:37. PMC: 2788532. DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-5-37. View

10.

McGaw L, van der Merwe D, Eloff J . In vitro anthelmintic, antibacterial and cytotoxic effects of extracts from plants used in South African ethnoveterinary medicine. Vet J. 2005; 173(2):366-72. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2005.09.004. View

11.

Barboza R, Souto W, da S Mourao J . The use of zootherapeutics in folk veterinary medicine in the district of Cubati, Paraíba State, Brazil. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2007; 3:32. PMC: 2008192. DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-3-32. View

12.

Costa-Neto E . Healing with animals in Feira de Santana City, Bahia, Brazil. J Ethnopharmacol. 1999; 65(3):225-30. DOI: 10.1016/s0378-8741(98)00158-5. View

13.

Alves R, Santana G . Use and commercialization of Podocnemis expansa (Schweiger 1812) (Testudines: Podocnemididae) for medicinal purposes in two communities in North of Brazil. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2008; 4:3. PMC: 2254592. DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-4-3. View

14.

Agra M, Baracho G, Nurit K, Basilio I, Coelho V . Medicinal and poisonous diversity of the flora of "Cariri Paraibano", Brazil. J Ethnopharmacol. 2007; 111(2):383-95. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2006.12.007. View

15.

Calixto J . Twenty-five years of research on medicinal plants in Latin America: a personal view. J Ethnopharmacol. 2005; 100(1-2):131-4. DOI: 10.1016/j.jep.2005.06.004. View

16.

Alves R, Barbosa J, Santos S, Souto W, Barboza R . Animal-based remedies as complementary medicines in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2009; 2011:179876. PMC: 3094714. DOI: 10.1093/ecam/nep134. View

17.

Paul J . The Epidemiology of Rheumatic Fever. Am J Public Health Nations Health. 1941; 31(6):611-8. PMC: 1531472. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.31.6.611. View

18.

Still J . Use of animal products in traditional Chinese medicine: environmental impact and health hazards. Complement Ther Med. 2003; 11(2):118-22. DOI: 10.1016/s0965-2299(03)00055-4. View

19.

Colwell R, Coddington J . Estimating terrestrial biodiversity through extrapolation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 1994; 345(1311):101-18. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.1994.0091. View

20.

Lans C, Turner N, Brauer G, Lourenco G, Georges K . Ethnoveterinary medicines used for horses in Trinidad and in British Columbia, Canada. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2006; 2:31. PMC: 1559680. DOI: 10.1186/1746-4269-2-31. View