Estudo etnobotânico de plantas medicinais em uma terra indígena guarani no oeste do Paraná, Brasil

Abstract

The relationship between human beings and medicinal plants is an essential area of medicine and health. Issues of health and illness in various ethnic groups imply connections among nature, culture and physical and spiritual issues. Therefore, the main objective of this qualitative research was to document the ethnobotany of medicinal plants, relating the scientific and popular knowledge present in Guarani culture. This study was carried out with the families of the Guarani indigenous land Tekohá Ocoy, located in the municipality of São Miguel do Iguaçu, western of Paraná. To this end, semi-structured interviews and documentary conversations were held with members of the indigenous community, mainly "chamoi" and "charuy" prayers, in order to initially document the use of medicinal plants locally. It was recorded a total of 75 plant species, belonging to 41 botanical families, with Asteraceae, Fabaceae and Rutaceae being the most cited. It was found that 65% of the mentioned species are native from Brazil. In this way, it was expected that the documentation of traditional oral knowledge could be recorded and prevented from being lost due to cultural adaptations. The species Ilex paraguariensis and Cedrela fissilis were highlighted as plants of great cultural importance, and the leaves were the most used part of the plants. Decoction was the most common form of preparation. Herbs were the most representative species in terms of growth habit. These results confirm that the Guarani Tekohá Ocoy make extensive use of medicinal plants, both native and exotic, highlighting the importance of preserving traditional oral knowledge and cultural exchange within the indigenous community.