Abstract

This study aimed to perform a survey about medicinal plants used in the treatment of the hepatic dysfunction commercialized by healers (salespeople) in the São José Market - Recife/Pernambuco and São Joaquim Street Market in Salvador/Bahia - Brazil. The place to obtain them, preparation methods and used parts of the medicinal plants, knowledge about plants, age and gender of the healers were also investigated. Eleven semi-structured interviews were performed on the healers in the São José Market. The most cited species was Croton rhamnifolioides (33.3%), 100% of the healers bought the plants, 100% indicated the preparation of teas, 85.7% the use of the leaves; 45.5% obtained knowledge about medicinal plants through experience with sales, with an average age of 42.8 years, 54.5% were male and 44.5% were female. On the other side of the São Joaquim Street Market, six interviews were performed. Vernonia condensata had 50% of citations, 100% of the healers bought the plants, 100% indicated the preparation of teas, 60% the use of leaves; 83.3% learned through experience with sales, and had a mean age of 39.5 years, 54.5% were male and 44.5% were female. This study may contribute to a better use of these resources by the people and useful in the registration and cataloging of information about medicinal plants.

Key words: Croton, ethnobotany, liver, Vernonia.