Ocorrência urbana de plantas medicinais em Ituiutaba, MG

Abstract

The present work aimed to verify the biodiversity of medicinal plants occurring in urban areas in the municipality of Ituiutaba, Minas Gerais, identifying, cataloging and recording the diversity of species found in vacant lots, sidewalks, streets and backyards, as well as their medicinal importance plants. Information related to the plants found was obtained by collecting botanical material, carried out in March 2019, in the Tupã neighborhood. After localization, the species were identified, classified as medicinal and their phytochemical analyzes were performed. The botanical material was identified and deposited at the Laboratory of Botany and Ecology in the Cerrado Domain (LABEC), of the Pontal Institute of Exact and Natural Sciences, of the Federal University of Uberlândia. Phytochemical analyzes of the selected plants were carried out with the purpose of verifying the presence of several classes of compounds related to the researched plants; as phenolic compounds, flavonoids, besides verifying antioxidant activity. The phytochemical tests carried out in the extracts revealed the presence of secondary metabolism constituents that can contribute to the identification of chemical markers for the studied species, being essential for the quality and integrity tests of phytotherapics, assuring better pharmacological control of these species and targeting of them. It’s uses and applications. In the survey 10 medicinal species were identified, distributed in eight botanical families, being Euphorbiaceae the most representative family. The species, Dioscorea bulbifera L. (Cará-gizzard) presented more expressive antioxidant activity, besides high phenols and total flavonoids content. This was the species with the best results. In this case, especially due to the antioxidant activity, it was found the presence of phenolic and flavonoid compounds, positive in the extracts of all species. This information aims to contribute to a better characterization of the medicinal resources available in the flora of spontaneously occurring species in the municipality of Ituiutaba, as well as their biological and pharmacological applications.