Plantas medicinais x raizeiros: uso na odontologia / Medical plants x herbalists: use in dentistry

O desenvolvimento da indústria de medicamentos, urbanização, mudanças culturais e sociais, têm contribuído para a perda do conhecimento popular sobre as plantas medicinais. O presente trabalho objetivou identificar as principais plantas medicinais e conhecimentos sobre as formas de uso e toxicidade referidas por raizeiros para doenças bucais. Aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa/UPE n° 115/10. Foram aplicados 21 questionários a raizeiros atuantes nos mercados Públicos do Recife. A maioria era do sexo feminino, acima de 50 anos, com baixa escolaridade e tempo de atuação acima de 05 anos. A transmissão familiar foi a forma de aquisição do conhecimento mais referida. Dentre as plantas mais citadas para tratar afecções bucais destaca-se a aroeira, barbatimão, quixaba, romã, caju roxo, tanchagem e juá, todas devido as suas propriedades anti-inflamatórias, exceto o juá que seria clareador dental e o barbatimão por exibir adicionalmente ação cicatrizante. As partes mais recomendadas para uso foram casca, tronco, talo e caule, preparadas sob a forma de chá. A maioria dos entrevistados referiu informar aos compradores das plantas sobre a higienização, especialmente com água corrente, sua toxicidade e contraindicações. Porém, não atribuíram nenhum efeito tóxico ou risco de uso das plantas mais recomendadas. Verifica-se pouca valorização de informações acerca das formas adequadas de preparo das partes, higiene prévia do material e toxicidade das plantas medicinais indicadas para afecções bucais. A indicação e orientação adequada sobre o preparo, higienização, toxicidade e risco de uso das plantas constituíse uma garantia da sua correta utilização e efetividade, minimizando a probabilidade de efeitos adversos ou outros agravos à saúde.

The drug industry's development, urbanization, cultural and social changes have contributed to the loss of popular knowledge about medicinal plants. The present study aimed to identify the main medicinal plants and knowledge about ways to use and toxicity referred to by herbalists for oral diseases. Approved by the Committee of ethics in research/UPE n° 115/10. 21 questionnaires were applied to herbalists that works in Recife Public markets. Most were female, over 50 years, with low educational level and time of work experience over 05 years. The family transmission was the form of acquisition of knowledge. Among the most cited plant to treat oral diseases the aroeira, barbatimão , quixaba , pomegranate , purple cashew, tanchagem and juá , all due to its anti-inflammatory properties , except juá would whitening dental and barbatimão to display further healing action. The most recommended for use were bark, stem, stalk and stem, prepared in the form of tea. Most of the interviewees mentioned informing of the plants buyers about your hygiene, especially with running water, toxicity and contraindications. However, they did not attributed any toxic effects or risk of use of plants recommended. There is little appreciation of information about appropriate ways in the preparation of the parties, the hygiene material and toxicity of the medicinal plants suitable for oral diseases. The indication and adequate guidance on the preparation, cleaning, toxicity and risk of use of plants constitutes itself a guarantee of their correct use and effectiveness while minimizing the likelihood of adverse effects or other harms to health.

Self-reported and informant-reported memory functioning and awareness in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer´s disease.

BACKGROUND: Awareness of subjective memory is an important factor for adequate treatment of patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer's disease (AD). This study served to find out whether awareness of subjective memory complies with objective performance, if differences in awareness are observed longitudinally and whether decrease of awareness can serve as a predictor of AD in MCI patients. METHODS: Thirty-four patients with MCI seeking help in a memory outpatient clinic were included. All participants underwent thorough neuropsychological examination. Awareness of subjective memory was obtained by calculating difference scores between patient and informant ratings on a 16-item questionnaire concerning complaints about loss of memory in every-day life. Retesting was performed after a mean follow-up period of 24 months. RESULTS: Whole group analyses showed that awareness remained relatively stable across time. Self-reported memory complaints correlated with episodic memory at baseline and with performance on a language task at follow-up. Retests displayed decrease of awareness. At group level differences in awareness between both times of assessment were not significant for MCI and MCI patients converting to mild AD at follow-up. The predictive value of awareness was low. CONCLUSIONS: Awareness of subjective memory deficit is linked to episodic memory function and decreases with decline of cognitive ability. Further studies evaluating predictive power of awareness of subjective memory should include a larger patient sample.