title: Ethnopharmacological notes about ancient uses of medicinal plants in Trás-os-Montes (northern of Portugal).
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  In order to preserve the ancestral knowledge, an ethnopharmacological study has been carried out in two councils belonging to Trás-os-Montes region a small area located in the northern of Portugal. In that area, medicinal plants, most of the species wild, are still in use among farmers, shepherds and other people who live far from villages and built-up areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  Among the 46 people that were interviewed (mean age of 66 years old), 88 species belonging to 42 families of vascular plants were identified for treatment of various human ailments. An ethnopharmacological report is made consisting of species names, vernacular names, popular uses of the plants and their pharmacological properties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most dominant family is Lamiaceae (18%) and the most frequently part of the plant used for the treatment of diseases are leaves (37.9%). The largest number of taxa is used to treat gastrointestinal disorders (73.9%).
authors.affiliation: CIAGEB - Faculdade de Ciências de Saúde, Escola Superior de Saúde da UFP, Universidade Fernando Pessoa, Rua Carlos da Maia, 296, P-4200-150 Porto, Portugal. jneves@ufp.edu.pt
authors.forename: José Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Matos
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Moutinho
authors.forename: Glória
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Queiroz
authors.forename: Lígia Rebelo
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Gomes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D019448:Ethnobotany; D020834:Ethnopharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008517:Phytotherapy; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D011174:Portugal