Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Biológicas (Zoologia), Departamento de Sistemática e Ecologia, Universidade Federal da Paraíba, 58059-970 João Pessoa, PB, Brazil.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2011 Apr 12;134(3):753-67. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2011.01.041. Epub 2011 Feb 1.
The purpose of this study was to describe the local zootherapeutic practices in ethnoveterinay medicine of semi-arid of NE Brazil (Caatinga biome) and to contribute to future research about the validation of the effects and side effects of these animal products. In this sense, we sought to determine the connections between human and animal ethnopharmacology and their implications for ethnoveterinary medicine in northeastern Brazil.
In this study we analyze data gathered through fieldwork conducted in the semi-arid of Paraiba State, NE Brazil, where 123 people (98 men and 25 women) provided information on animal species used as medicine, body parts used to prepare the remedies and illnesses to which the remedies were prescribed. The information obtained through semi-structured interviews was complemented by free interviews and informal conversations.
A total of 46 animal species (43 vertebrates and 3 invertebrates) were found to be used to treat 33 different ailments in livestocks and pets and 62 conditions in humans. Interviewees cited a wide range of materials derived from animal bodies (or their metabolic products) that are used as remedies in local EVM, nonetheless, fats (and/or suet) is the most frequently reported natural remedies. EVM practices have close relationships with human complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) and probably evolved based on traditional human medicine practices; as such, the division between EVM and CAM is not always obvious from the viewpoint of the local residents. Descriptions of diseases, symptoms or treatments were often associated with both humans and animals (especially livestock), and 24 animal species (52%) were prescribed to treat similar ailments in both humans and animals based on local knowledge about CAM.
Our results suggest that traditional knowledge of animal-based medicines in ethnoveterinary practices co-evolved with traditional knowledge of human ethnomedicine. The examination of folk knowledge and animal health practices will give us a better understanding of human interactions with their local environment and aid in formulating appropriate strategies for the validation of traditional remedies and for natural resource conservation.
本研究旨在描述巴西东北部半干旱地区（卡廷加生物群落）民族兽医医学中的局部动物疗法实践，并为未来研究这些动物产品的疗效和副作用验证提供参考。在这方面，我们试图确定人类和动物民族药理学之间的联系及其对巴西东北部民族兽医医学的影响。
在这项研究中，我们分析了通过在巴西东北部帕拉伊巴州半干旱地区进行实地考察收集的数据，共有 123 人（98 名男性和 25 名女性）提供了有关用作药物的动物物种、用于制备药物的身体部位以及所治疗疾病的信息。通过半结构化访谈获得的信息通过自由访谈和非正式对话进行了补充。
共发现 46 种动物物种（43 种脊椎动物和 3 种无脊椎动物）用于治疗家畜和宠物的 33 种不同疾病和人类的 62 种疾病。受访者提到了广泛的动物身体材料（或其代谢产物），这些材料被用作当地 EVM 的药物，但脂肪（和/或酥油）是最常报道的天然药物。EVM 实践与人类补充和替代医学（CAM）密切相关，可能是基于传统的人类医学实践而发展起来的；因此，从当地居民的角度来看，EVM 和 CAM 之间的划分并不总是很明显。疾病、症状或治疗方法的描述通常与人类和动物（尤其是家畜）都有关联，并且根据当地对 CAM 的了解，有 24 种动物物种（52%）被用于治疗人类和动物的类似疾病。
我们的研究结果表明，民族兽医实践中的动物药物传统知识与人类民族医学传统知识共同进化。对民间知识和动物健康实践的研究将使我们更好地了解人类与当地环境的相互作用，并有助于制定传统药物验证和自然资源保护的适当策略。
