Uso medicinal da carqueja (Baccharis trimera L.): revisão de literatura

Abstract

Baccharis trimera, popularly known as carqueja, is a plant traditionally used in folk medicine, especially for the treatment of liver, digestive and inflammatory disorders. This paper reviews the medicinal use of B. trimera, addressing its biological and pharmacological activities, in addition to exploring its use in folk medicine. The bibliographic research was carried out by searching the Scielo, Web of Science and Google Scholar databases, using keywords such as B. trimera, carqueja, medicinal use, oil, pharmacological activity, biological activity, composition, and folk medicine. The results indicate that the plant has a wide range of therapeutic activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, hepatoprotective, gastroprotective, anticancer and antidiabetic effects. The essential oil and bioactive compounds of the plant, especially flavonoids, are considered fundamental for its therapeutic properties. In addition to its medicinal use, carqueja is also used in other fields, such as the food and cosmetics industries, due to its antioxidant and preservative properties. Although the available data show that the plant is generally safe when used appropriately, more research is needed, especially clinical studies.