Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Conservation of animals traded for medicinal purposes in Brazil: Can products derived from plants or domestic animals replace products of wild animals?

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Regional Environmental Change Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The use and trade of animals in traditional medicine involves many different species, some of which are threatened with extinction. Thus, evaluating biological and cultural aspects associated with this business is essential for the conservation of these species. The aim of this study was to analyze the viability of replacing wild animal with plant or domestic animals for use in medicines. To conduct this analysis, we used current literature from five Brazilian cities that have data available for the trade in animals and plants for medicinal purposes (Recife, Caruaru, Campina Grande, Belém, and Boa Vista). We compiled data on the diversity of animals and plants traded in these locations as well as their respective therapeutic applications. The potential replacement of products derived of wild animals was evaluated by the analysis of overlapping use (of plants and animals and of wild and domestic animals) as well as by the analysis of the relationship between zootherapeutic products and their target diseases. The data showed little overlap between the use of medicinal plant and animals as well as between the use of wild and domestic animals. However, the analysis of the relationship between zootherapeutic products and their target diseases provides evidence of possible replacements of wild animals by domestic animals. Although there is an urgent need for new research on the cultural and biological contexts associated with the use of wild animals for medicinal purposes, projects that aim to mitigate the impacts caused by this trade must consider the use of alternative methods.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albuquerque UP, Monteiro JM, Ramos MA, Amorim ELC (2007) Medicinal and magic plants from a public market in northeastern Brazil. J Ethnopharmacol 110:76–91. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2006.09.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Albuquerque UP, Ramos MA, Melo JG (2012) New strategies for drug discovery in tropical forests based on ethnobotanical and chemical ecological studies. J Ethnopharmacol 140:197–201. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2011.12.042

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Almeida CFCBR, Albuquerque UP (2002) Uso e conservação de plantas e animais medicinais no estado de Pernambuco (Nordeste do Brasil): um estudo de caso. Interciencia 27:276–285

    Google Scholar 

  • Alves RRN, Alves HN (2011) The faunal drugstore: animal-based remedies used in traditional medicines in Latin America. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 7:9. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-7-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alves RRN, Rosa IL (2005) Why study the use of animal products in traditional medicines? J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 1:5. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-1-5

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alves R, Rosa IL (2007) Zootherapy goes to town: the use of animal-based remedies in urban areas of NE and N Brazil. J Ethnopharmacol 113:541–555. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2007.07.015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alves RRN, Rosa IL (2010) Trade of animals used in Brazilian traditional medicine: trends and implications for conservation. Hum Ecol. doi:10.1007/s10745-010-9352-0

    Google Scholar 

  • Alves RRN, Rosa IL (2013) Animals in traditional folk medicine: implications for conservation. Springer, Berlin. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-29026-8

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Alves RRN, Silva AAG, Souto WMS, Barboza RRD (2007) Utilização e comércio de plantas medicinais em Campina Grande, PB, Brasil. Rev Eletron Farm 4:175–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Alves RRN, Lima HN, Tavares MC, Souto WMS, Barboza RRD, Vasconcellos A (2008) Animal-based remedies as complementary medicines in Santa Cruz do Capibaribe, Brazil. BMC Complement Altern Med 8:44. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-8-44

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alves RRN, Léo-Neto NA, Brooks SE, Albuquerque UP (2009) Commercialization of animal-derived remedies as complementary medicine in the semi-arid region of northeastern Brazil. J Ethnopharmacol 124:600–608. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2009.04.049

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Alves RRN, Oliveira MGG, Barboza RRD, Lopez LCS (2010) An ethnozoological survey of medicinal animals commercialized in the markets of Campina Grande, NE Brazil. Hum Ecol Rev 17:11–17

    Google Scholar 

  • Alves RRN, Rosa IL, Albuquerque UP, Cunningham AB (2013) Medicine from the wild: an overview of the use and trade of animal products in traditional medicines. In: Alves RRN, Rosa I (eds) Animals in traditional folk medicine, 1st edn. Springer, Berlin, pp 25–42. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-29026-8_3

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Andrade JN, Costa-Neto EM (2006) O comércio de produtos zooterápicos na cidade de Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brasil. Sitientibus 6:37–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Athiyaman A (2008) An exploration into modeling sustainable consumption: the case of animal-based traditional medicines. Acad Mark Stud 2:16–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Case MA, Flinn KM, Jancaitis J, Alley A, Paxton A (2007) Declining abundance of American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius L.) documented by herbarium specimens. Biol Conserv 134:22–30. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2006.07.018

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cassells A, Walsh C, Belin M, Cambornac M, Robin JR, Lubrano C (1999) Establishment of a plantation from micropropagated Arnica chamissonis a pharmaceutical substitute for the endangered A. montana. Plant Cell Tissue Organ Cult 56:139–144. doi:10.1023/A:1006224215503

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ceuterick M, Vandebroek I, Torry B, Pieroni A (2008) Cross-cultural adaptation in urban ethnobotany: the Colombian folk pharmacopoeia in London. J Ethnopharmacol 120:342–359. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2008.09.004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Core Team RD (2012) R: a language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. http://www.gbif.org/resources/2585. Accessed 5 Feb 2014

  • Costa-Neto EM (1999) Healing with animals in Feira de Santana city, Bahia, Brazil. J Ethnopharmacol 65:225–230. doi:10.1016/S0378-8741(98)00158-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Costa-Neto EM, Motta PC (2010) Animal species traded as ethnomedicinal resources in the Federal District, central west region of Brazil. Open Compl Med J 2:24–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dormann CF, Gruber B, Fründ J (2008) Introducing the bipartite package: analysing ecological networks. R News 1:8–11

    Google Scholar 

  • Dow J (1986) Universal aspects of symbolic healing: a theoretical synthesis. Am Anthropol 88:56–69. doi:10.1525/aa.1986.88.1.02a00040

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dutton AJ, Hepburn C, Macdonald DW (2011) A stated preference investigation into the Chinese Demand for farmed vs. wild bear bile. PLoS One 6:1–10. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.002124

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Feng Y, Siu K, Wang N, Ng KM, Tsao S, Nagamatsu T, Tong Y (2009) Bear bile: dilemma of traditional medicinal use and animal protection. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed 5:2. doi:10.1186/1746-4269-5-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fernandes-Ferreira H, Mendonça SV, Albano C, Ferreira FS, Alves RRN (2012) Hunting, use and conservation of birds in Northeast Brazil. Biodivers Conserv 21:221–244. doi:10.1007/s10531-011-0179-9

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira FS, Brito SV, Ribeiro SC, Saraiva AAF, Almeida WO, Alves RRN (2009) Animal-based folk remedies sold in public markets in Crato and Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará, Brazil. BMC Complement Altern Med 9:17. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-9-17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira FS, Albuquerque UP, Coutinho HDM, Almeida WO, Alves RRN (2012) The trade in medicinal animals in northeastern Brazil. Evid-Based Complement Alternat Med. doi:10.1155/2012/126938

    Google Scholar 

  • Ferreira FS, Fernandes-Ferreira H, Neto NAL, Alves RRN (2013) The trade of medicinal animals in Brazil: current status and perspectives. Biodivers Conserv 22:839–870. doi:10.1007/s10531-013-0475-7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fleischer SR (2012) Uso e circulação de medicamentos em um bairro popular urbano na Ceilândia. DF 21:410–423

    Google Scholar 

  • Garnelo L, Sampaio S, Baniwa AF, Lynn G (2006) Medicina Tradicional Baniwa: Doença, poder, conflito e cura. Rev Est Amaz 6:151–169

  • Geldenhuys CJ (2004) Bark harvesting for traditional medicine: from illegal resource degradation to participatory management. Scand J Forest Res 19:103–115. doi:10.1080/14004080410034182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gotelli NJ, Entsminger GL (2002) EcoSim: null models software for ecology. Version 7.0. Acquired Intelligence and Kesey-Bear, Jericho, Vermont, USA. http://homepages.together.net/;gentsmin/ecosim.htm. Accessed 15 March 2014

  • Graham-Rowe D (2011) Biodiversity: endangered and in demand. Nature 480:101–103. doi:10.1038/480S101a

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guimera R, Stouffer DB, Sales-Pardo M, Leicht EA, Newman MEJ, Amaral LAN (2010) Origin of compartmentalization in food webs. Ecology 91:2941–2951. doi:10.1890/09-1175.1

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hagey LR, Crombie DL, Espinosa E, Carey MC, Igimi H, Hofmann AF (1993) Ursodeoxycholic acid in the Ursidae: biliary bile acids of bears, pandas, and related carnivores. J Lipid Res 34:1911–1917

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jain M, Johnson TS, Krishnan P (2012) Biotechnological approaches to conserve the wealth of nature: endangered and rare medicinal plant species, a review. J Nat Rem 12:93–102

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kikuchi R (2012) Captive bears in human–animal welfare conflict: a case study of bile extraction on Asias bear farms. J Agric Environ Ethics 25:55–77. doi:10.1007/s10806-010-9290-2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lee RJ, Gorog AJ, Dwiyahreni A, Siwu S, Riley J, Alexander H, Paoli GC, Ramono W (2005) Wildlife trade and implications for law enforcement in Indonesia: a case study from North Sulawesi. Biol Conserv 123:477–488. doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2005.01.009

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lévi-Strauss C (2008) Antropologia estrutural. Cosac Naify, São Paulo

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewinsohn TM, Loyola RD, Prado PI (2006) Matrizes, redes e ordenações: a detecção de estrutura em comunidades interativas. Oecol Australis 10:90–104

    Google Scholar 

  • Luo J, Yan D, Zhang D, Feng X, Yan Y, Dong X, Xiao X (2011) Substitutes for endangered medicinal animal horns and shells exposed by antithrombotic and anticoagulation effects. J Ethnopharmacol 136:210–216. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2011.04.053

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maciel MRA, Neto GG (2006) Um olhar sobre as benzedeiras de Juruena (Mato Grosso, Brasil) e as plantas usadas para benzer e curar. Bol Mus Par Emílio Goeldi 1:61–77

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martinez GJ (2013) Use of fauna in the traditional medicine of native Toba (qom) from the Argentine Gran Chaco region: an ethnozoological and conservationist approach. Ethnobiol Conserv 2:1–43

  • Monteiro JM, Araújo EL, Amorim ELC, Albuquerque UP (2010a) Local markets and medicinal plant commerce: a review with emphasis on Brazil. Econ Bot. doi:10.1007/s12231-010-9132-1

    Google Scholar 

  • Monteiro JM, Ramos MA, Araújo EL, Albuquerque UP (2010b) Dynamics of medicinal plants knowledge and commerce in an urban ecosystem (Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil). Environmen Monit Assess 178:179–202. doi:10.1007/s10661-010-1681-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Newman MEJ (2004) Fast algorithm for detecting community structure in networks. Phys Rev E 69:66–70. doi:10.1103/PhysRevE.69.066133

    Google Scholar 

  • Oliveira ES, Torres DF, Brooks SE, Alves RRN (2010) The medicinal animal markets in the metropolitan region of Natal City, Northeastern Brazil. J Ethnopharmacol 130:54–60. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2010.04.010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pianka ER (1973) The structure of lizard communities. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 4:53–74

  • Pieroni A, Giusti ME, Quave CL (2011) Cross-cultural ethnobiology in the western Balkans: medical ethnobotany and ethnozoology among Albanians and Serbs in the Pešter plateau, Sandžak, south-western Serbia. Hum Ecol 39:333–349. doi:10.1007/s10745-011-9401-3

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinheiro CU (1997) Jaborandi (Pilocarpus sp., Rutaceae): a wild species and its rapid transformation into a crop. Econ Bot 51:49–58. doi:10.1007/BF02910403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pinto AAC, Maduro CB (2003) Produtos e subprodutos da medicina popular comercializados na cidade de Boa Vista, Roraima. Acta Amazon (Brasil) 33:281–290 (Abr-Jun)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rastogi S, Kaphle K (2008) Sustainable traditional medicine: taking the inspirations from ancient veterinary science. Evid-Based Complement Alternat Med 5:1–6. doi:10.1093/ecam/nen071

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues E (2006) Plants and animals utilized as medicines in the Jaú National Park (JNP), Brazilian Amazon. Phytother Res 20:378–391. doi:10.1002/ptr.1866

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rosa IL, Oliveira TPR, Osório FM, Moraes LE, Castro ALC, Baros GML, Alves RRN (2011) Fisheries and trade of seahorses in Brazil: historical perspective, current trends, and future directions. Biodivers Conserv. doi:10.1007/s10531-011-0068-2

    Google Scholar 

  • Santos MER, Fonseca DM, Euclides VPB, Ribeiro JI Jr, Nascimento D Jr, Moreira LM (2009) Produção de bovinos em pastagens de capim-braquiária diferidas. Rev Bras Zootec 38:635–642

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sarasan V, Kite GC, Sileshi GW, Stevenson PC (2011) Applications of phytochemical and in vitro techniques for reducing over-harvesting of medicinal and pesticidal plants and generating income for the rural poor. Plant Cell Rep 30:1163–1172. doi:10.1007/s00299-011-1047-5

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shanley P, Luz L (2003) The impacts of forest degradation on medicinal plant use and implications for health care in eastern Amazonia. Bioscience 53:573–584. doi:10.1641/0006-3568(2003)053[0573:TIOFDO]2.0.CO;2

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silva MLV, Alves ÂGC, Almeida AV (2004) A zooterapia no Recife (Pernambuco): uma articulação entre as práticas ea história. Biotemas 17:95–116

    Google Scholar 

  • Sodeinde O, Soewu D (1999) Pilot study of the traditional medicine trade in Nigeria. Traffic Bull 18:35–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Tesser CD, Luz MT (2008) Racionalidades médicas e integralidade. Ciên Saúde Colet 13:195–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Uchôa E, Vidal JM (1994) Antropologia médica: elementos conceituais e metodológicos para uma abordagem da saúde e da doença. Cad Saúde Pública 10:497–504

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Van den Berg MA (1984) Ver-o-peso: the ethnobotany of an Amazonian market. In: Prance GT, Kallunk JA (eds) Advances in economic botany ethnobotany in the neo tropics. New York Botanical Garden, New York, pp 140–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldram JB (2000) The efficacy of traditional medicine: current theoretical and methodological issues. Med Anthropol Q 14:603–625. doi:10.1525/maq.2000.14.4.603

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watanabe S, Tsuneyama K (2012) Cattle bile but not bear bile or pig bile induces lipid profile changes and fatty liver injury in mice: mediation by cholic acid. The J Toxicol Sci 37:105–121. doi:10.2131/jts.37.105

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whiting MJ, Williams VL, Hibbitts TJ (2011) Animals traded for traditional medicine at the Faraday market in South Africa: species diversity and conservation implications. J Zool 284:84–96. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-29026-8_19

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Williams VL, Cunningham AB, Bruyns RK, Kemp AC (2013) Birds of a feather: quantitative assessments of the diversity and levels of threat to birds used in African traditional medicine. In: Alves RRN, Rosa IL (eds) Animals in traditional folk medicine. Springer, Berlin, pp 383–420. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-29026-8_18

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang L, Hua N, Sun S (2008) Wildlife trade, consumption and conservation awareness in southwest China. Biodivers Conserv 17:1493–1516. doi:10.1007/s10531-008-9358-8

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zschocke S, Rabe T, Taylor J, Jager AK, van Staden J (2000) Plant part substitution–a way to conserve endangered medicinal plants? J Ethnopharmacol 71:281–292. doi:10.1016/S0378-8741(00)00186-01

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico and Tecnológico – FUNCAP for the scholarships to Felipe S. Ferreira and Samuel V. Brito; Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico – CNPq for the scholarships to Waltécio O. Almeida and Rômulo RN Alves.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Colegiado Acadêmico de Ciências da Natureza, Universidade Federal do Vale do São Francisco – UNIVASF, Rua Tomaz Guimarães, s/n – Condomínio Aeroporto, Senhor do Bonfim, BA, CEP 48970-000, Brazil

    Felipe Silva Ferreira

  2. Departamento de Química Biológica, Universidade Regional do Cariri, Crato, CE, Brazil

    Samuel Vieira Brito & Waltécio de Oliveira Almeida

  3. Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Estadual da Paraíba, Campina Grande, PB, Brazil

    Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega Alves

Authors
  1. Felipe Silva Ferreira
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Samuel Vieira Brito
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Waltécio de Oliveira Almeida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rômulo Romeu Nóbrega Alves
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Felipe Silva Ferreira.

Additional information

Editor: Wolfgang Cramer.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 652 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ferreira, F.S., Brito, S.V., de Oliveira Almeida, W. et al. Conservation of animals traded for medicinal purposes in Brazil: Can products derived from plants or domestic animals replace products of wild animals?. Reg Environ Change 16, 543–551 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-015-0767-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10113-015-0767-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation