Tratamentos medicinais baseados em animais: conhecimento tradicional e prospecção farmacológica

Abstract

The medicinal use of animals or products derived from them is a millenarian practice spread in diverse cultures, among them the indigenou one. However, data on zootherapy are still scarce, although animal bioactive molecules are promising sources for the development of new products and the treatment of various diseases. Thus, the objective of this research was to perform a survey of animals used for medicinal purposes in the Guarani and Kaiowá indigenous ethnicities of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, and to investigate the pharmacological potential of two species indicated for the treatment of diabetes. In this sense, interviews with indigenous university students of the Guarani and Kaiowá ethnicities were carried out and, based on the information collected, a book entitled "Medicinal animals in the Guarani and Kaiowá culture" was prepared for devolution to the communities indigenous and non-indigenous . For the in vitro and in vivo experiments the species Apis mellifera and Cuniculus paca were selected. As indicated by the Indians were prepared Apis mellifera bee tea (AmT) and the ethanolic extract of bile of Cuniculus paca (CpE) and evaluated for its antioxidant and antihyperglycaemic activities. AmT and CpE demonstrated antioxidant activity in vitro and in vivo, capturing free radicals, protecting human erythrocytes from the hemolytic action of oxidant inducing agent, reducing the production of malondialdehyde in both human erythrocytes induced by oxidative stress and in tissues and organs of mice hyperglycemia. In addition, AmT and CpE also showed antihyperglycemic action in vivo, being able to normalize postprandial glycemia in normoglycemic mice submitted to oral glucose overload and to reduce the glucose levels of hyperglycemic mice induced by diet. Together, our data record the existence of indigenous zoological knowledge of Guarani and Kaiowá and indicate the antioxidant and antihyperglycemic pharmacological action of the honey bee Apis mellifera and the ethanolic extract of the bile of Cuniculus paca. The register in knowledge book, in the Portuguese, Guarani and English languages, seeks to share knowledge among different cultures, consolidate the idea of the importance of cultural maintenance and open up possibilities for new studies.