PLANTAS MEDICINALES Y ALIMENTICIAS COMO POTENCIAL PRODUCTIVO PARA PROMOVER EMPRENDIMIENTOS Y EL DESARROLLO LOCAL SOSTENIBLE EN UNA COMUNIDAD RURAL DEL NORESTE DE BRASIL

Márcio Luciano Pereira Batista; Ermínia Medeiros Macedo; Antonio Joaquim da Silva Joaquim da Silva; Roseli Farias Melo de Barros

Márcio Luciano Pereira Batista Universidade Federal do Piauí
Ermínia Medeiros Macedo Universidad Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Piauí
Antonio Joaquim da Silva Joaquim da Silva Instituto Federal de Piauí / IFPI / Campus Teresina Central, Piauí
Roseli Farias Melo de Barros Universidad Federal do Piauí, Teresina, Piauí

Keywords: administration, ethnobiology, ethnobotany, innovation, sustainability

Abstract

Sustainable exploitation of the biodiversity of Brazilian flora directed to sustainable entrepreneurship (SE) in rural areas with a focus on local development (LD) has drawn the attention of academic circles. In this study, the main goal was to verify the knowledge and use of medicinal and food plants by the residents of a rural community in the state of Piauí. 82 interviews were conducted. The Use Value index (real and potential) was used. 81 species in 40 families were surveyed, and the most representative were Fabaceae (32.5%), Anacardiaceae (15.0%), Laminaceae (12.5%) and Arecaceae / Cucurbitaceae / Poaceae / Rutaceae (10.0%). Out of this total, 35% are medicinal, 32.5% food and 32.5% both. As for the origin, 59.25% are exotic and 40.75% are native; the most used parts were leaves (42.3%) and fruits (21.5%). The values of real use and global potential presented 76.51% (5,476 citations) and 23.49% (1,681) respectively, with the real use value being 73.36% (2,558 citations) and the potential 26.64% (929) for medicinal, and the real use value of 77.33% (2,058 citations) and potential 22.67% (603) for food products, and for the use of both, a real use value of 85.23% was obtained (860 citations), along with potential of 14.77% (149). The medicinal/food species with the highest real use value were, respectively: Oryza sativa - 1.70, Cucurbita pepo and Malpighia glabra - 1.24, and Plectranthus amboinicus - 1.23. It was noted that the residents use the traditional knowledge about plants in the production of cakes, sweets, teas, lickers and/or syrups, macerations, powders and infusions, however they present limits in productivity and added value. The resilient capacity of community members was recognized, favoring the implantation of SE with sustainable bases and the strengthening of local social capital with long-term strategies oriented to LD.