Authenticity of samples of Maytenus ilicifolia Mart. ex Reissek marketed in markets of São Mateus, ES, Brazil

• Autor(a) principal: Ribeiro, Fabiane Fonseca
• Data de Publicação: 2021
• Outros Autores: Zottele, Livia, Ribeiro, Izabela Ferreira, Oliveira, Natane Sartor de, Reis, Thassyane Rios, Aoyama, Elisa Mitsuko, Menezes, Luis Fernando Tavares de
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: por
• Título da fonte: Revista Fitos
• Texto Completo: https://revistafitos.far.fiocruz.br/index.php/revista-fitos/article/view/966
• topic: Leaf anatomy; Atlantic Forest; Espinheira-santa; Phytotherapy; São Mateus-ES; Commercialization; Anatomia foliar; Mata Atlântica; Espinheira-santa; Fitoterapia; São Mateus-ES; Comercialização

Maytenus ilicifolia (Celastraceae) is a plant popularly known as "espinheira-santa". The species is native to the southeastern region of Brazil, better adapted to hot climates and is used in folk medicine in the treatment stomach diseases. Phytotherapy is expanding in Brazil and worldwide, and due to this growing search and disorderly extraction of medicinal plants, many sell similar species as if they were original, compromising the real effectiveness of the products used. The anatomical comparison has proven to be useful in the differentiation of species. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the authenticity of "espinheira-santa" commercialized in São Mateus-ES herb markets, through the characterization of leaf anatomical comparison of samples of M. ilicifolia in situ and commercialized. The results obtained show that the leaf anatomical structures of M. ilicifolia in situ, compared with the samples of the Natural House and the Municipal Market differ in terms of the arrangement of the vascular bundles in the central rib, in terms of petiol shape and presence or absence of isolated fiber groups in the cortex. Finally, it can be observed that the material marketed in the herb market, possibly does not agree with the species M. ilicifolia.