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Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 3 7 ( 2 ) :1 8 6 -1 8 8 , mar-abr, 2 0 0 4
Pr eliminar y assessment of medicinal plants used as antimalar ials
in the southeaster n Venezuelan Amazon
Avaliação preliminar de plantas medicinais usadas como
antimaláricos no sudeste amazônico Venezuelano
Ale ja ndr o Ca r a ba llo
!!!!!, Br igida Ca r a ba llo
1a nd Ale x is Ro dr ígue z - Aco sta
2ABSTRACT
Ei gh te e n sp e c i e s o f m e d i c i n a l p la n ts u se d i n th e tre a tm e n t o f m a la ri a i n Bo lí va r Sta te , Ve n e zu e la we re re c o rd e d a n d th e y
b e lo n ge d to Co m p o si ta e , Me li a c e a e , An a c a rd i a c e a e , Bi x a c e a e , Bo ra gi n a c e a e , Ca ri c a c e a e , Cu c u rb i ta c e a e , Eu p h o rb i a c e a e ,
Le gu m i n o sa e , Myrta c e a e , Ph yto la c c a c e a e , Pla n ta gi n a c e a e , Sc ro p h u la ri a c e a e , So la n a c e a e a n d Ve rb e n a c e a e f a m i li e s.
An ti m a la ri a l pla n t a c ti vi ti e s ha ve b e e n li n k e d to a ra n ge o f c o m po u n ds i n c lu di n g a n thro q u i n o n e s, b e rb e ri n e , f la vo n o i ds,
li m o n o i d s, n a p h th q u i n o n e s, se sq u i te rp e n e s, q u a ssi n o i d s, i n d o l a n d q u i n o li n e a lk a lo i d s.
Ke y-words:
Ethn o m e di c i n e . Phyto the ra pe u ti c . Me di c i n a l pla n ts. Ma la ri a . Ve n e zu e la n a m a zo n .
RESUMO
De zo ito e spé c ie s de pla n ta s m e dic in a is u sa da s n o tra ta m e n to da m a lá ria n o Esta do Bo líva r, Ve n e zu e la , fo ra m e sta b e le c ida s
e p e rte n c i a m à s f a m i li a s Co m p o si ta e , Me li a c e a e , An a c a rd i a c e a e , Bi x a c e a e , Bo ra gi n a c e a e , Ca ri c a c e a e , Cu c u rb i ta c e a e ,
Eu pho rb i a c e a e , Le gu m i n o sa e , Myrta c e a e , Phyto la c c a c e a e , Pla n ta gi n a c e a e , Sc ro phu la ri a c e a e , So la n a c e a e e Ve rb e n a c e a e . As
a ti vi d a d e s a n ti m a lá ri c a s d e sta s p la n ta s p a re c e m e sta r li ga d a s a u m gru p o d e c o m p o sto s q u e i n c lu e m a n tro q u i n o n a s,
b e rb e ri n a , f la vo n o i d e s, li m o n o i d e s, n a f tq u i n o n a s, se sq u i te rp e n o s, q u a ssi n o i d e s, i n d o l e a lc a ló i d e s d e q u i n o li n a .
Palavr as-chave s:
Etn o m e di c i n a . Fi to te ra pê u ti c a . Pla n ta s m e di c i n a i s. Ma lá ri a . Am a zo n a s Ve n e zu e la n o .
1 . De par tame nto de B o tánic a, Fac ultad de Agr o no mía, Unive r sidad de l Zulia, Apar tado Po stal 5 2 6 , Mar ac aib o , Ve ne zue la. 2 . Instituto de Medic ina Tr o pic al, Univer sidad Ce ntr al de Ve ne zue la, Apar tado Po stal 4 7 4 2 3 -Car ac as 1 0 4 1 A, Ve ne zue la.
!
This pape r is de dic ate d In m e m o ri a m o f Dr. Ale j andr o Car ab allo who die d while this wo r k was b e ing finishing.
Addr e ss to: Dr. Ale xis Ro dr ígue z-Ac o sta. Apar tado 4 7 4 2 3 , Car ac as 1 0 4 1 , Ve ne zue la. e - m ail:r o dr iguf@ uc v. ve
Re c e b ido par a pub lic aç ão e m 7 /4 /2 0 0 3 Ac e ito e m 1 2 /1 /2 0 0 4
Malaria is the most important and devastating parasitic infection
in the world
1 6 2 3. Malaria cases are frequently recorded in Bolívar
state territory, which comprises sweeping grassy plains, as well as
areas along the Orinoco River and tropical forests inhabited by gold
and diamond miners. The area is also inhabited by near nineteen
Amerindian groups who live scattered throughout the jungle and
highlands. For several years, the standard antimalarial drugs which
include quinoline derivates, sulpha drugs and antifolates have been
employed in the treatment of malaria by the National Malaria Control
Program. Preparations based on plants used in traditional medicine
have been widely employed in the Bolivar State as an alternative to
pharmaceuticals
14.
The Amazo n has no t been bo tanic ally explo r ed as have the
savannas, sc r ub lands, the sur r o unding lo wland and upland
fo r est and even mo untains, mo st o f whic h ar e no w c o nsider ed
to be intensively studied and therefo re taxo no mic ally kno wn
1 4.
As par t o f a pr o j e c t aim e d at im pr o ving the antim alar ial
therapeutic s in Venezuela, we organized a ethnobotanic al survey
on traditional medic inal plants used in the treatment of malaria
in B o lívar State , Ve ne zue la. Dur ing 5 ye ar s this study was
c o nduc te d in B o lívar State , in a tr o pic al humid fo r e st ar e a at
Domingo Sifontes municipality. This southeastern area ( 6 5 0 0 0 km
2)
of the state is the most densely populated region and is situated
at 0 7 ° 1 5 ’N latitude and 6 1 ° 2 6 ’W longitude
1 5. Data were obtained
using sta nda r d e thno b o ta nic a l c o lle c ting te c hniq ue s
1 9. The
in fo r m a tio n wa s c o lle c te d fr o m Ka r iñ a , Ak a wa yo , No r th
Ar awak Am e r indians and m ine r po pulatio n. Thr e e r e gio ns
we r e e xplo r e d: Tume r e mo ( c apital o f the Do mingo Sifo nte s
m u n i c i p a l i ty) , E l D o r a d o a n d La s Cl a r i ta s . T h e m o s t
k no wle dge ab le me mb e r s o f e ac h c o mmunity we r e ide ntifie d
and inter viewed. The b asic questio n under lying the inter views
was “do yo u use any plants to tr e at o r to c ur e malar ia”?
Spe c ime ns o f the plants use d we r e the n c o lle c te d in the fie ld
1 8 7
administration and use were recorded, as well as local names and
any other relevant data. Information was double-checked with more
than one interviewee. The standard herbarium spec imens were
collected for subsequent identification of the species.
Par ts o f the plants sc r e e ne d b y antimalar ial ac tivity we r e
those that people rec ommended ( roots, leaves, etc ) . The piec es
we r e air-dr ie d in the dar k whe n po ssib le , b ut in the sun whe n
the humidity was to o high.
Eighteen plants spec ies of 1 3 families used in the treatment
o f malar ia at Do mingo Sifo nte s Munic ipality we r e ide ntifie d.
De ta ils o f the use o f so m e o f the se pla nts to ge the r with
c o mparative data are presented in Table 1 .
The plants rec orded in this survey, were used in the treatment
of the disease and not as prophylac tic s. The majority were used
as dec oc tions and were generally administered three times daily
until malaria was c ured. Some plants were used both internally
and externally ( as baths) , and in a few c ases they were applied as
c ompresses to the swollen spleen.
The antimalar ial ac tivity has b e e n link e d to a r ange o f
c ompounds inc luding anthroquinones, berberine, flavonoids,
limonoids, naphthquinones, sesquiterpenes, quassinoids, indol and
quinoline alkaloids and many of the genera represented by the
plants c ollec ted in this work have been shown to c ontain these
c ompounds
2 1.
The mo st fr e que ntly use d plant par ts we r e : le ave s ( 7 0 % ) ;
r o o ts ( 1 5 % ) ; fr uits ( 1 0 % ) ; and stalk s ( 2 % ) . The e no r mo us
fr e que nc y o f the le ave s in tr aditio nal c o mpo unds is r e late d to
their abundant availability and easy c o llec tio n.
The knowledge of plants used in the treatment of malaria in
the Domingo Sifontes munic ipality, c ombined with the high level
o f c o r r e latio n fo und with the use s o f the se plants ( o r r e late d
spe c ie s) in dive r se pa r ts o f La tin Am e r ic a , indic a te s the
inheritanc e of our anc estors’ knowledge in the whole c ontinent.
It r e pr e se nts so me time s the o nly availab le alte r native malar ia
tr e atme nt in r e mo te c o mmunitie s o f the munic ipality and its
sur r o undings.
REFERENCES
1 . Alb o r no z, A. Me dic ina Tr adic io nal He r b ar ia. Instituto Far mac o te r ápic o Latino , Car ac as, 1 9 9 7 .
2 . Altsc hul S, Lipp. Ne w So ur c e s fo r Dr ugs and Fo o ds fr o m the Ne w Ne w Yo r k B o tanic al Gar de n He r b ar ia. Har var d Unive r sity Pr e ss. Camb r idge , 1 9 8 2 . 3 . Aminuddin RD, Gir ac h A, Sub han KA. Tr e atme nt o f malar ia thr o ugh he r b al
dr ugs fr o m Or issa, India. Fito te r apia 6 4 : 5 4 5 - 5 4 8 , 1 9 9 3 .
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5 . B r andao MGL, Gr andi TSM, Ro c ha TMM, Sawye r DR, Kr e ttli AU. Sur ve y o f m e d i c i n a l p l a n ts u s e d a s a n ti m a l a r i a l s i n th e Am a zo n . J o u r n a l o f Ethno phar mac o lo gy 3 6 : 1 7 5 -1 8 2 , 1 9 9 2 .
6 . Delasc io-Chitty F. Algunas Plantas Usadas en la Medic ina Empíric a Venezolana. Dir ec c io n de Investigac io nes B io lo gic as, INPARQUES, Car ac as, 1 9 8 5 . 7 . Di Stasi LC, Hiruma CC, Guimaraes EM, Santos CM. Medic inal plants popularly
use d in B r azilian Amazo n. Fito te r apia 6 5 : 5 2 9 - 5 4 0 , 1 9 9 4 . Ta b le 1 - So m e pla nts use d in the tre a tm e nt o f m a la ria in the Do m ingo Sifo nte s m unic ipa lity, Bo liva r Sta te , Ve ne zue la .
B olívar State data Comparative data
Spec ies Family P U PP spec ies Details
Aza dira c hta in dic a A.Juss. Meliaceae 1 d Aza dira c hta in dic a A.Ju ss Used to treat malaria in India and Sudan3 9
Bixa o re lla n a L. B ixac ea 1 ,r d Bixa o re lla n a Used to treat malaria in B razil and Peru8 1 8
Ca ric a pa pa ya L Caric ac eae ft j Ca ri c a pa pa ya Used to treat malaria in B razil an Surinam1 8 1 9
Ce dre la o do ra ta L. Meliaceae s b mwv Ce dre la o do ra ta Used to treat malaria elsewhere1 2
Eu c a lyptu s glo b u lu s Labill. Myrtac ea 1 d Eu c a lyptu s glo b u lu s Used to treat malaria in Venezuela1 2 1 3
He lio tro pium indic um L. B oraginac eae 1 d He li o tro pi u m i n di c u m Used to treat malaria in Venezuela1
Mo m o rdic a c ha ra n tia L. Cuc urbitac eae 1 d Mo m o rd i c a c h a ra n ti a Used to treat malaria in B razil, Colombia, Guyana, Trinidad, West Indies, and Venezuela1 4 8 12 13 17 20 24
Pa rthe n i u m hyste ro pho ru s L. Compositae r d Pa rth e n i u m h yste ro p h o ru s Used to treat malaria in Venezuela1
Pe tive ria a llia c e a L. Phytolac c ac eae Ep d Pe tive ria a llia c e a Used to treat malaria in B razil8 2 0
Phylla n thu s n iru ri L. Phylla n thu s n i ru ri a n d P. niruri used to treat malaria elsewhere9 2 0
and Phylla n thu s n i ru ri spp other spp Used in B razil, Cuba and Surinam1 3 2 0 2 1
Pla nta go a ustra lis Lam. Plantaginaceae 1 d Pla n ta go a u stra li s Used to treat malaria in Venezuela1 4
Sc o pa ria du lc is L. Sc rophulariac eae 1 , r d Sc o pa ri a du lc i s Used to treat malaria in Colombia and Venezuela1 6 1 1 1 2
Se nna o c c ide nta lis L.Link. Leguminosae 1 , r d Se n n a o c c ide n ta lis Used to treat malaria in B razil, Colombia and Venezuela2 5 7 8 1 2 1 8 1 9
So la n u m spp. Solanac ea ep d So la n u m spp Used very widely to treat malaria5 2 0 2 1 2 2 2 3 2 4
Spo n dia s m o m b in L. Anac ardiac eae l d Sp o n d i a s m o m b i n Used to treat malaria in Venezuela1
Ta ra xa c um o ffic ina le Web. Compositae L,r d Ta ra xa c u m o ffic in a le Used to treat malaria in Venezuela1
Ve rb e na lito ra lis H.B .K Verbenac eae l d Ve rb e n a li to ra li s Used to treat malaria in Venezuela1
Ve rn o n i a sp p Compositae s b d Ve rn o n i a sp p Used to treat malaria in B razil, Colombia and Venezuela2 7 1 2 2 0
PU: part of the plant part used: ep = entire plant; ft = fruit; l = leaf; r = roots; s = seed; sb = stem bark. PP: preparations: d = dec oc tion; j = juic e; mwv = mac erate in white vine.
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Revista da Sociedade Brasileira de Medicina Tropical 3 7 ( 2 ) :1 8 6 -1 8 8 , mar-abr, 2 0 0 4
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