Urban ethnobotany, medicinal plant diversity, commercialization, and biosafety in the public market of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

Authors

  • José Alex Alves dos Santos dos Santos
  • Philipe Souza Rufino
  • Celso Ramos Rodrigues Neto
  • Karla Mikaelly dos Santos Bezerra
  • Rosallyne Hosana Vanderlei das Chagas
  • Sílvio Marçal de Vasconcelos Júnior
  • René Duarte Martins
  • Jeymesson Raphael Cardoso Vieira

Abstract

Background: Urban public markets are central nodes for the circulation of medicinal plants and ethnomedical knowledge, yet integrative analyses combining species diversity, commercialization dynamics, and biosafety remain scarce in Northeastern Brazil.

Methods: A cross-sectional ethnobotanical study was conducted in public markets of Recife using semi-structured interviews, market inventories, and ethnographic observation. Species were identified through a triangulated taxonomic approach. Therapeutic indications were classified according to ICD-11, and quantitative ethnobotanical indices and similarity analyses were applied.

Results: A total of 100 medicinal plant species belonging to 50 families were recorded, with predominance of Lamiaceae (16 spp.), Fabaceae (14 spp.), and Asteraceae (7 spp.). Herbaceous (41%) and arboreal (38%) species were the most frequent life forms, and leaves were the main commercialized plant part (n = 51). Highly versatile species (RI = 0.9) included Ocimum campechianum, Mentha longifolia, Mentha spicata, and Laurus nobilis. Knowledge and commercial autonomy increased with age (ρ = 0.68; p < 0.001), and similarity analysis indicated a central redistribution role for major markets. Plant-part commercialization differed significantly among markets (two-way ANOVA, F = 4.78; p < 0.001). Botanical identification relied predominantly on vernacular recognition, and labeling, storage, and traceability revealed heterogeneous biosafety patterns.

Conclusions: Recife’s public markets sustain a diverse and socially structured urban pharmacopoeia in which knowledge transmission, trade networks, and therapeutic versatility are closely interconnected. Uneven biosafety practices highlight the need for participatory governance strategies that reconcile sanitary standards with traditional medical systems.

Keywords: Urban ethnobotany, medicinal plant trade, public markets, biocultural knowledge, biosafety, Brazil.

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Published

2026-06-05

How to Cite

José Alex Alves dos Santos, Rufino, P. S., Celso Ramos Rodrigues Neto, Karla Mikaelly dos Santos Bezerra, Rosallyne Hosana Vanderlei das Chagas, Sílvio Marçal de Vasconcelos Júnior, René Duarte Martins, & Jeymesson Raphael Cardoso Vieira. (2026). Urban ethnobotany, medicinal plant diversity, commercialization, and biosafety in the public market of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil . Ethnobotany Research and Applications, 34, 1–35. Retrieved from https://www.ethnobotanyjournal.org/index.php/era/article/view/8108

Issue

Vol. 34 (2026)

Section

Research

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