Plant known as Sarsaparilla [Herreria sarsaparilla Mart. [Herreriaceae] and its medicinal use in southwestern Mato Grosso, Brazil

The medicinal herb Sarsaparilla (Herreria sarsaparilla Mart [Herreriaceae]), native in Cáceres (MT, Brazil), was studied in our laboratory and the field, between 2003–2009. The species also has ornamental potential. It has roots thickened tuberiformes and elongated stems cylindrical. The roots and leaves of the plant, in tea form, are used in folk medicine for many different diseases, such as sweat, blood purifying, diuretic, and also for the treatment of skin diseases, gout, syphilis, gonorrhea, arthritis, fevers, coughs, and hypertension. The roots and leaves of the plant, in tea form, are used in folk medicine for many different diseases, such as sweat, blood purifying, diuretic, and also for the treatment of skin diseases, gout, syphilis, gonorrhea, arthritis, fevers, coughs, and hypertension. They mention that the root tea also help fight obesity; tea leaves and branches are used to aid digestion and relieve stomach pains. To treat influenza, colds and rheumatism use the infusion. The healers in the city of Cáceres sell the plant root, especially, for purifying and anti-rheumatic. There are few scientific studies of this species relationship with the indicated uses in folk medicine. In the laboratory, to evaluate the digestive tract in various concentrations, the effect of the raw methanol extract of leaves of the plant on mining of Spodoptera frugiperda not was no larvicidal effect „and also non-interference in the remaining duration of the larval stage. Alert treatments, that even though natural medicine, without guidance from qualified health professionals may harm due to inadequacies in its implementation.

Keywords: Medicinal Plant, Bioactivity, Mato Grosso, Brazil

Acknowledgement: For Fapemat – financial support, and for UNEMAT – institutional support; To the collaborators colleagues from the research group FLOBIO – (Plants carrying Bioactive substances)