The conservation of native priority medicinal plants in a Caatinga area in Ceará, northeastern Brazil.

Much of the Brazilian semiarid region faces a considerable process of degradation of natural resources, and ethnobotanical studies have collaborated with important information about the use and traditional knowledge, serving as a tool to design conservation strategies of native plant species. Thus, this study aimed to determine medicinal species meriting conservation priorities in a "Caatinga" area in the northeastern of Brazilian territory. The ethnobotanical data were collected through semi-structured interviews with key subjects selected through the "snowball" technique.

Plant species as a therapeutic resource in areas of the savanna in the state of Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: Ethnobotanical studies have contributed significantly in research of plants with therapeutic potential. The aim of the present study was to learn about the use of native medicinal plants cited by the traditional population in "cerradão" (savanna woodland) areas in Northeast Brazil, providing data on therapeutic indications of the species used and their versatility.

Materials And Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted on the basis of a standardized questionnaire designed for key informants selected using the "snowball" technique.

Chemical composition, antibacterial and antifungal activities of essential oil from Cordia verbenacea DC leaves.

Background: Cordia verbenacea is a Brazilian coastal shrub popularly known as "erva baleeira". The essential oil from fresh leaves was obtained by hydrodistillation and analyzed by CG/MS. The main components were identified as β-caryophyllene (25.