Artigo De Capa / Cover Article

Artigo de capa / Cover article MÜGGE, FLB; PAULA-SOUZA, J; MELO, JC; BRANDÃO, MGL. 2016. Native plant species with economic value from Minas Gerais and Goiás: a discussion on the currentness of the data recovered by the French naturalist Auguste de Saint-Hilaire. Horticultura Brasileira 34: 455-462. DOI - http://dx.doi. org/10.1590/S0102-053620160402 Native plant species with economic value from Minas Gerais and Goiás: a discussion on the currentness of the data recovered by the French naturalist Auguste de Saint-Hilaire Fernanda LB Mügge1; Juliana Paula-Souza2; Jean C Melo1; Maria GL Brandão1* 1Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (UFMG), Belo Horizonte-MG, Brasil; 2Universidade Federal de São João del Rei (UFSJ), Sete Lagoas-MG, Brasil. *Correspondence author: [email protected] (*autor para correspondência) ABSTRACT RESUMO Given the increasing anthropic threats faced by natural Espécies de plantas nativas de Minas Gerais e Goiás com valor ecosystems all around the world, this work holds an important role by econômico: uma discussão sobre a atualidade das informações recovering primary information of the Brazilian biodiversity. In this coletadas pelo naturalista francês Auguste de Saint-Hilaire. study we discuss data collected at a time when the native vegetation Face às crescentes ameaças antrópicas enfrentadas pelos ecos- in Brazil was still preserved, and the use of plants was primarily sistemas naturais em todo o mundo, este trabalho tem um papel made from species of autoctone flora. Those areas were visited by th importante, recuperando informações primárias da biodiversidade European naturalists in the 19 century, including the French Auguste brasileira. Neste estudo, são discutidas informações coletadas em um de Saint-Hilaire, who described the use of numerous native species. tempo em que a vegetação nativa no Brasil ainda estava preservada The possibility of current economic use of some species cited by him e o uso das plantas era feito principalmente a partir de espécies da in the 19th century is discussed. flora autóctone. Estas áreas foram visitadas por naturalistas euro- peus no século XIX, incluindo o francês Auguste de Saint-Hilaire, que descreveu o uso de numerosas espécies nativas. Neste trabalho, discute-se a possibilidade real de utilização econômica de algumas espécies citadas por ele no século XIX. Keywords: Biodiversity, traditional uses. Palavras-chave: Biodiversidade, uso tradicional. (Recebido para publicação em 16 de março de 2016; aceito em 12 de setembro de 2016 ) (Received on March 16, 2016; accepted on September 12, 2016) razil is home to one of the richest substances used in medical systems found in the essential oil from the Bfloras in the world, consisting today are produced out of Brazilian flora, wood of Eremanthus erythropappus of over 45,000 plant species (BFG, accessed through ancient Amerindian (DC.) MacLeish (“candeia”), while the 2015; Flora do Brasil 2020, 2016), knowledge. One of them is pilocarpine, flavonoid quercetin is obtained from which represents roughly 10% of extracted from “jaborandi” leaves fruits of the Dimorphandra mollis the world’s total. The Atlantic Forest (Pilocarpus spp.), used for decades Benth. (“favela”). and the Cerrado are known for their in the treatment of glaucoma. Other Despite this richness, Brazilian high biodiversity rates and levels of example is tubocurarine, extracted native vegetation has suffered a endemism, which, combined with from Chondrodendron tomentosum continuous destruction process, since their critical risks of degradation, have Ruiz & Pav. (“curare”) and used as an the arrival of the Portuguese in 1500. granted them the status of Biodiversity adjuvant in anesthesia, due its relaxing The Atlantic Rainforest for example, Hotspots. The remaining Brazilian effect over the skeletal musculature. is considered the most threatened Biomes (Caatinga, Pantanal, Pampas A third example is emetine, a potent tropical forest in the world, since it had and Amazonia) are nevertheless equally amoebicide and emetic obtained from nearly 96% of its original area already relevant in terms of biological diversity. roots of “ipecacuanha” (Carapichea devastated (Ab’ Sáber, 2003). However, Different ecosystems produce a large ipecacuanha (Brot.) L.Andersson) and the expansion of farming and grazing variety of substances with different used in the treatment of diarrhea and activities, as well as unplanned mining, chemical structures, which can be poisonings (Nogueira et al., 2010). has been pushing even on the other useful for the development of cosmetics, Other examples of natural substances ecosystems (Nepstad et al., 2014). medicines and nutraceutics, among from Brazilian plants which have been Accessing the potential of native useful other products. This characteristic gives exploited more recently are alpha- plants in Brazil becomes strategic and Brazil an enormous biotechnological bisabolol and quercetin. The first needs to be prioritized, since they are potential. In fact, many examples of substance is a potent anti-inflammatory still very poorly known and its potential Hortic. bras., v. 34, n. 4, out.- dez. 2016 455 FLB Mügge et al. is still insufficiently exploited, which and it was the only source of information with their native plants, in order to is further aggravated by the fact that on the biodiversity of South America know their efficacy and security and these species are very often distributed until the late 18th century, when the to produce commercial products to in areas subjected to intense human continent was opened to expeditions preserve them and to generate income action and therefore under severe threat of other European naturalists. The for the population. of extinction. pioneer was the German Alexander von In the last six years we have done The World Health Organization Humboldt, who explored the area now a field work following Saint-Hilaire’s (WHO) recognizes the importance occupied by Venezuela, Guyana and the routes. In these paths, we found 33 of plants to promote public health Brazilian states of Amapá and Roraima, species cited in Plantes Usuelles des in the world, and since the 1970’s it from 1799 to 1804. Throughout the Brésiliens that today could be better used has encouraged validation studies. 19th century, dozens of other scientists and potentially generate income (Table Validating a plant means determining from different parts of Europe traveled 1). In order to verify the possibilities its safety and effectiveness by laboratory to South America, especially Brazil, of their use in short, medium and long essays, and enabling their transformation describing the flora, fauna, mineral term, we have classified these species into products for collective use (WHO resources and local customs. The in four categories (I, II, III and IV), 2010). Since 2002, the WHO began contribution of these naturalists to promoting a ranking that we hope will also to encourage the studies of plants the knowledge of South American contribute to indicate research priorities, used in ancient medical systems, such biodiversity is immeasurable: a whole optimize and systematize their use, as those used by Amerindians in past new biological universe unknown to according to their particularities. In each centuries, including the Brazilian native science was uncovered, and thousands category the plants received a grade populations. In order to contribute with of new genera and species have been from 1 to 4, as follows: these recommendations, since 2004 our described, based on the materials they Category I: plants were ranked by research group is developing a series of collected. The biological collections their type of use. Species that can be studies with the objective of recovering and bibliographical records gathered by immediately commercialized received historical data about Brazilian plants, these naturalists represent a precious and 4, while species used as food were especially those collected by European strategic heritage, which enormously aggregated in grade 3. Species used naturalists who travelled in Brazil during contribute to the knowledge of the as cosmetics and medicine received the 19th century (Brandão et al., 2011, natural history of the Americas and the lower grades, respectively 2 and 1. The 2012; Breitbach et al., 2013; Fagg et consequent development of the region. downgrading comes from the need of al., 2015), among other authors (Chaves More than three hundred useful submitting products from these species et al., 2015). Besides recovering the and medicinal species were recorded to efficacy and security studies prior historical data, our group has also been by Saint-Hilaire in his field notebooks to their delivery to the market, which searching the plants in the field as well. (Brandão et al., 2012) and 70 of them, demands time and investments. The French botanist Auguste de Saint- considered by him as prioritary for use, Category II: plants were ranked Hilaire is certainly among the most were described in his book Plantes considering the impact of the extracted important naturalists that registered Usuelles des Brésiliens, published part on the specimen’s development/ the use of Brazilian plants. In 2016, we in 1824, but translated to Portuguese survival. Plants whose fruits are used th are celebrating the 200 anniversary of only in 2014. From these, the uses of received grade 4. They were followed his arrival in Brazil. As part of these many species were registered while by plants whose leaves (3), exudates (2) celebrations,

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