Ethnopharmacology in the Jaú National Park, AM

Abstract

This study uses Jaú National Park (PNJ), at Amazon Stale, in order to show the importance of leading ethnopharmacological surveys among natives from a Protected Area, during the making of its Management Planning. The traditional health system adopted by PNJ natives concerns the use of home medicines prepared from plants, animals and minerals, whose are indicated to: diseases, treatment and prevention; contraceptive methods; help women in childbirth; snakes, spiders and insects bites; abortion; menstruation disturbs; capillary tonic; and fleas and louses control . These medicines arc prescribed by natives, experts in some diseases who call themselves: prayer, “curador"; "curado”; midwife; “desmintidor”; medium and expert in home medicines. In most diseases, the cure process is not only leaded by the pharmacological principle, present in natural resource used in the medicine composition, but also by the believes present in this culture, that have survived through generations, as to provide health among their descendants. According to these results, the native people participation during the elaboration and execution of the PNJ Management Planning is fundamental for the biodiversity conservation, since they show ability in finding, identifying, extracting, and manipulating the local natural resources, for medicinal purposes.