Ethnobotanical study of traditional uses of medicinal plants: The flora of caatinga in the community of Cravolandia-BA, Brazil

The Caatinga is one of the most characteristic vegetation types in northeastern Brazil, where there are several endemic species of medicinal plants. Information on the traditional knowledge of medicinal plants and their uses would represent a vital role in the discovery of novel products from plants. An ethnobotanical survey about utilization and conservation of medicinal plants was applied to residents of "Assentamento Palestina" which currently is expropriated and distributed in batches to families of "Landless Workers" in the region of Cravolandia-BA, Brazil. The semi-structured interviews were applied to the analysis of data on the plants, and resulted in a collection of 87 species, belonging to 42 families. The most representative families as to potential of use were Asteraceae, followed by Lamiaceae and Rutaceae. The most popular modes of preparation were tea (mentioned in 65.49% of cases), followed by juice (1.76%), syrup (15.54%), in natura (13.32%), maceration (5.55%) and baths (4.44%). Native plants are a very significant component of locally used medicinal plants.