40 YEARS OF BRAZILIAN MEDICINAL PLANT RESEARCH

The Brazilian Foundation of Medicinal Plants has developed a medicinal plant database. Data were obtained from communications presented in B razilian Scientific Meetings in the 1949-1989 period and include plant species, family, local name, part used, extract analyzed, claimed the rapeutic action, pharmacological activity and active compounds. The fa milies most frequently studied and the usual popular indications are a nalyzed. The history of research during this period and the current st ate of medicinal plant research in Brazil are outlined.