7.9 Conclusions and Future Prospects
The valorization of biological and cultural diversity, as well as the knowledge
acquired by several traditional practices, becomes a necessary tool to know and
classify the use of natural resources. In this context, empirical knowledge not only
has great relevance in the discovery of new medicinal plants, suppliers of bioactive
chemical substances originated mainly from the secondary cellular metabolism of
the plant, but also are focused on the planning of actions related to the sustainability
of natural resources managed. It is known that in tropical regions some social
groups have vast traditional knowledge about the different forms of exploitation and
management of natural resources, mainly about plant species. Several ethnic groups
have created mechanisms and strategies for disease treatment and prevention. The
accumulation of knowledge and practices form empirical medical systems often
based on the use of natural plant resources.
The study of these mechanisms provides ethnopharmacology with a supposed
efficacy of plants that are selected depending on the concept of disease and health
by these groups, and this identification also helps in the improvement of other
approaches that use medicinal plants as the object of study. Obtaining new alternatives for the development of new products of natural origin, it can be characterized as a new chemically defined compound with determined pharmacological
activity (pharmacotherapeutic) or a simple traditional preparation from parts of a
medicinal species (phytotherapeutic) that has evaluated its efficacy.
The discovery of compounds with biological activity may be more effective from
active extracts of perennial plants. This is because these plants invest effectively in
lifelong chemical defenses and have higher levels of compounds. One of the main
advantages of using natural products in the search for new drugs, compared to
synthetic compounds, is the high probability of biological activity. Secondary
metabolites are synthesized and optimized through the evolution of specific biological interactions between the producer and the environment. In this sense, the
chemical diversity of these substances becomes unequalled.
Thus, it is fundamental to understand how medicinal plants behave in the
environment, how these resources are used and how this information can contribute
to sustainable use strategies. From this conception of traditional knowledge, it is
possible to design strategies that lead to alternatives that respect the need for
conservation, together with the traditions of the people who use these resources and
the scientific knowledge, being able to provide information for a better time of
collection and a better period in which it produces high yields of essential substances for medicinal treatment and subsequent pharmacological uses.
280
L. E. da Silva et al.
The valorization of biological and cultural diversity, as well as the knowledge
acquired by several traditional practices, becomes a necessary tool to know and
classify the use of natural resources. In this context, empirical knowledge not only
has great relevance in the discovery of new medicinal plants, suppliers of bioactive
chemical substances originated mainly from the secondary cellular metabolism of
the plant, but also are focused on the planning of actions related to the sustainability
of natural resources managed. It is known that in tropical regions some social
groups have vast traditional knowledge about the different forms of exploitation and
management of natural resources, mainly about plant species. Several ethnic groups
have created mechanisms and strategies for disease treatment and prevention. The
accumulation of knowledge and practices form empirical medical systems often
based on the use of natural plant resources.
The study of these mechanisms provides ethnopharmacology with a supposed
efficacy of plants that are selected depending on the concept of disease and health
by these groups, and this identification also helps in the improvement of other
approaches that use medicinal plants as the object of study. Obtaining new alternatives for the development of new products of natural origin, it can be characterized as a new chemically defined compound with determined pharmacological
activity (pharmacotherapeutic) or a simple traditional preparation from parts of a
medicinal species (phytotherapeutic) that has evaluated its efficacy.
The discovery of compounds with biological activity may be more effective from
active extracts of perennial plants. This is because these plants invest effectively in
lifelong chemical defenses and have higher levels of compounds. One of the main
advantages of using natural products in the search for new drugs, compared to
synthetic compounds, is the high probability of biological activity. Secondary
metabolites are synthesized and optimized through the evolution of specific biological interactions between the producer and the environment. In this sense, the
chemical diversity of these substances becomes unequalled.
Thus, it is fundamental to understand how medicinal plants behave in the
environment, how these resources are used and how this information can contribute
to sustainable use strategies. From this conception of traditional knowledge, it is
possible to design strategies that lead to alternatives that respect the need for
conservation, together with the traditions of the people who use these resources and
the scientific knowledge, being able to provide information for a better time of
collection and a better period in which it produces high yields of essential substances for medicinal treatment and subsequent pharmacological uses.
280
L. E. da Silva et al.