Indicação e comercialização de plantas medicinais em estabelecimentos comerciais de alimentos: potencial risco para a Saúde Pública

Abstract

Medicinal plants are sold freely in a wide range of establishments, in the form of dry vegetable drugs, as herbal medicines and even as food supplements. However, according to the Phytotherapeutic Memento of the Brazilian Phamacopoeia, eight plants are indicated for medical prescription for their use: Actaea racemosa l., Echinacea purpurea, Ginkgo biloba, Hypericum perforatum, Piper methysticum, Serenoa repens, Trifolium pratense and Valeriana officinalis. The lack of information as scientific knowledge about these and other plants. The lack of scientific information about these and other plants often poses risks to public health. This research initially presents a theoretical approach to each of the plants studied, highlighting important information for rational use, such as dosage, risks in use and side effects. It also presents a research on aspects of the commercialization of these eight plants and their derivatives, carried out through the application of a questionnaire in commercial establishments located in the cities of Toledo and Cascavel – PR. The results obtained indicated that the establishments feared supervision, did not have trained professionals or knowledge to guide the population on the rational use of these medicinal plants, were unaware of the dosage, adverse effects and risks associated with the consumption of the plants, selling without professional guidance. By carrying out this research, it was possible to alert and guide traders about the practices that contribute to the indiscriminate use of these medicinal plants, providing safe information, minimizing the risks to the health of populations in the municipalities evaluated.