Plantas medicinais no sistema digestório: conhecimento e uso entre estudantes de Biomedicina e Nutrição da UFPB

Abstract

The use of medicinal plants is an ancient practice widely spread in Brazil. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge and uses related to medicinal plants indicated for digestive system disorders among Biomedicine and Nutrition students at the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB). This is a cross-sectional study with a quantitative approach and descriptive nature. Data collection occurred between December 2025 and February 2026 via an electronic questionnaire (Google Forms®) and in-person recruitment at the Health Sciences Center. A total of 89 students participated, with a predominance of females (n=74) and an age range between 18 and 24 years. The results revealed that 84.27% of these students have already used medicinal plants for digestive disorders, primarily motivated by abdominal pain and indigestion. The most cited species were boldo (Peumus boldus), mint (Mentha spp.), and chamomile (Matricaria recutita L.). The main source of knowledge declared was family-based. Data show a disparity in academic training on the subject, with 64.41% of Biomedicine students having taken courses addressing Phytotherapy, compared to only 13.33% in the Nutrition course. Regarding the acquisition of medicinal plants, easy access via supermarkets, backyards, and public markets predominated. Concerning the perception of efficacy, the practice was considered effective or moderately effective by 85.34% of the participants. However, a scenario of therapeutic vulnerability was observed: only 4.49% of students who associate herbal medicines with allopathic drugs do so under professional supervision. Additionally, risk perception was low, as 31.4% of the students stated they had no concerns regarding the medicinal use of plants, while mentions of drug interactions (30.5%), toxicity (21.2%), and efficacy (16.9%) were secondary. Therefore, the information obtained reveals the importance of strengthening Phytotherapy education within the curricula of health courses at the institution.