title: Antimalarial plants used by indigenous people of the Upper Rio Negro in Amazonas, Brazil.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This is the first intercultural report of antimalarial plants in this region. The aim of this study was to document the medicinal plants used against malaria by indigenous people in the Upper Rio Negro region and to review the literature on antimalarial activity and traditional use of the cited species.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participant observation, semi-structured interviews, and ethnobotanical walks were conducted with 89 informants in five indigenous communities between April 2010 and November 2013 to obtain information on the use of medicinal plants against malaria. We reviewed academic databases for papers published in scientific journals up to January 2014 in order to find works on ethnopharmacology, ethnobotany, and antimalarial activity of the species cited.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty-six plant species belonging to 24 families are mentioned. Fabaceae (17.4%), Arecaceae (13.0%) and Euphorbiaceae (6.5%) account together for 36.9% of these species. Only seven plant species showed a relatively high consensus. Among the plant parts, barks (34.0%) and roots (28.0%) were the most widely used. Of the 46 species cited, 18 (39.1%) have already been studied for their antimalarial properties according to the literature, and 26 species (56.5%) have no laboratory essays on antimalarial activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Local traditional knowledge of the use of antimalarials is still widespread in indigenous communities of the Upper Rio Negro, where 46 plants species used against malaria were recorded. Our studies highlight promising new plants for future studies: Glycidendron amazonicum, Heteropsis tenuispadix, Monopteryx uaucu, Phenakospermum guianensis, Pouteria ucuqui, Sagotia brachysepala and notably Aspidosperma schultesii, Ampelozizyphus amazonicus, Euterpe catinga, E. precatoria, Physalis angulata, Cocos nucifera and Swartzia argentea with high-use consensus. Experimental validation of these remedies may help in developing new drugs for malaria.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômica de Botucatu, Departamento de Horticultura, Rua José Barbosa de Barros, 1780, 18.610-307 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: carolkffuri@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Carolina Weber
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Kffuri
authors.affiliation: Cunuri indigenous Community, São Gabriel da Cachoeira, Amazonas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Moisés Ahkʉtó
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lopes
authors.affiliation: Universidade Estadual Paulista, Faculdade de Ciências Agronômica de Botucatu, Departamento de Horticultura, Rua José Barbosa de Barros, 1780, 18.610-307 Botucatu, São Paulo, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lin Chau
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Ming
authors.affiliation: CNRS-Guyane(USR 3456), 2 avenue Gustave Charlery, 97300 Cayenne, French Guiana.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Odonne
authors.affiliation: Herbário EAFM, Instituto de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia do Amazonas (IFAM), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.
authors.forename: Valdely Ferreira
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Kinupp
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000962:Antimalarials / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D028023:Arecaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D044383:Black People; D001938:Brazil; D020834:Ethnopharmacology / Q000379:methods; D019665:Euphorbiaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D007887:Fabaceae / Q000737:chemistry; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D016488:Medicine, African Traditional / Q000379:methods; D008875:Middle Aged; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal / Q000737:chemistry; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000962:Antimalarials; D028321:Plant Preparations
keywords: Amazonia; Ampelozizyphus amazonicus; Aspidosperma schultesii; Ethnopharmacology; Malaria; Medicinal plants