Plants used to treat two mycobacterial diseases neglected by people of southwestern Brazilian Amazon Basin and adjacent regions

Herbal preparations may help controlling neglected mycobacterial diseases (NMD). NMD include Leprosy -Ml (Mycobacterium leprae) and tuberculosis -Mt (M. tuberculosis). Ml is a very infective disease, that manifests itself in the skin and nerves. In 2007, new cases of Ml (n°/10⁵ inhab.) in Mato Grosso (100.2) were the largest in Brazil (21.9), and Amazon contributes 40% of cases. In the Americas, Brazil has most cases (94%), and in the world, it is the 2nd, after India. Mt is also a serious disease, but it develops mostly in more elderly and weak, often as a co-infection. The lungs and other organs are affected and the disease may ulimately lead to death. In Brazil, between 2006 – 2010, the Amazon had the 2nd highest rate of Mt (67.59 new cases/10⁵ inhab.), the 3 rd highest mortality and the highest mortality and lethality in cases of co-infection (Mt/HIV). Both NMD affect mostly those who live in dirty and clustered environment. Current therapy, if applied early and well exercised, is effective. Persons at risk seek options to take care of their health, including plants. We questioned people in 26 counties bordering the Amazon Basin (A:5); Platinum (P:16) and Transition AP (T:5) about plants used to treat these NMD. The data came from several studies (PLAMED; PLAMEDIA; RAIZEIROS; PLAMUN-MT) in response to the question which medicinal plants are the most important to treat disease. Leprosy (Ml) is presented as distressing disease in 9 counties (A:3,P:3,T:3) and to treat it eight plants area used: Rosa alba, Jacaranda cuspidifolia, Operculina hamiltonii, Echinodorus macrophyllus, Croton urucurana, Solidago microglossa, Mentha piperita, Baccharis dracunculifolia. Tuberculosis (Mt) was distressing in 3 counties (A:1,T:1,P:1) and Copaifera langsdorffii, Equisetum arvense and Curcuma longa are used to treat it. For each disease (Ml,Mt) the plants with most and least scientific studies available (online-free access, Apr. 2013), are the first and the last species mentioned.