Medicinal plants used in the public health system of Abaetetuba, in the Brazilian Amazon

We investigated the medicinal plants used by patients frequenting the public health system of Abaetetuba, in Pará State, in the Brazilian Amazon, and analyzed their socio-economic profile, recorded the habits and origins of those plant species, and conferred which are cited in the National List of Medicinal Plants of Interest to the Unified Health System (acronym – RENISUS). A total of 1089 questionnaires were applied during interviews held by 40 community health workers. The Flora do Brasil 2020 website was consulted to identify the habits and origins of the medicinal species. The Unified Health System of the Ministry of Health website was consulted to confirm the inclusion of those species of interest. Most users of medicinal plants were between 21 and 30 years of age (13%), and were predominantly women (60.23%) employed as maids. Forty-one species of medicinal plants were identified; the plants most familiar to users were "boldo" [Vernonia condensate Baker.], "cidreira" [Lippia alba (Mill.) N.E. Br.], "jucá" (Caesalpinia ferrea Mart), "hortelã" (Mentha sp.), "limão" [Citrus limon (L.) Burm.], "sicurijú" (Mikania lindleyana DC.), "barbatimão" (Stryphnodendron barbatimam Mart.), "marupazinho" [Eleutherine bulbosa (Mill.)], "anador" or "sete dores" (Plectranthus barbatus Andrews), and "erva doce" (Pimpinella anisum L.). Vernonia condensata is considered a plant of interest to the Brazilian health system, and represents the principal focus of this research.