Medicinal plants used for oral health in the Santa Cruz neighborhood, Chapada dos Guimarães, Mato Grosso State, Brazil

In the State of Mato Grosso, traditional populations turn to the use of many plant species as a therapeutic alternative. In the city of Chapada dos Guimarães, the Santa Cruz neighborhood is well known for harboring families from urban and rural communities who preserve this knowledge passed down through many generations. The objective of this research was to survey the medicinal plants used by the local community, therapeutic indications, preparation and use methods intended to maintain and recover oral health. Forty local residents were interviewed by a qualitative approach using semi-structured interviews. The cataloged species were filed for identification in the UFMT/Herbário Central. There were 87 species named as being used for oral health, pertaining to 48 families, found in the Cerrado biome or grown at home. The most frequently cited species for treating oral ailments were as follows: teeth eruption - "camomila" (Matricaria chamomilla L.); candidiases, stomatitis, gingivitis and canker sores - "açafrão" (Crocus sativus L.); tooth ache - "arnica-da-serra" (Brickelia brasiliensis (Spreng.) Robinson). The most commonly used part of the plant was the leaf while tea, by decoction, was the most common method of preparation. Elderly people, community leaders, accoucheuses and medicine women had a greater knowledge of medicinal plant use. This shows that the community uses both native cerrado and exotic plant species therapeutically to maintain and recover oral health, as a traditional, economic and effective alternative.

Ethnobotany; therapeutic indications; cerrado; home garden