The human species, when it does not find a real explanation for certain phenomena, has always sought to calm its doubts or concerns with mythological foundations. So, initially, most civilizations were governed by mythological norms.
With the increase in knowledge, mainly through scientific investigation, many of the myths are being explained, although the scientific results are often initially doubted, for convenience.
As happened, for example, with Nicolaus Copernicus (1473-1543) when he announced that, after all, the Earth was not the center of the Universe (geocentrism); with Galileo (1564-1642) when, through mathematical calculations, he proved Copernicus' theory of heliocentrism and with Charles Darwin (1809-1882) when he published (24.XI.1859) the basic principles of evolution and “The Descent of Man and Sexual Selection” (1871), putting an end to the fixedist myth.
The same happened with Garcia de Orta (1501-1568), the 60th century herbalist who contributed most to the knowledge of spices and medicinal plants, some unknown in Europe and who studied and experimentally investigated many of these plants, having clarified many confusions in the use of plants medicinal products known since Greek antiquity and disseminated for about sixteen centuries through the work “De Materia Medica” (70-40) by Dioscorides (c. 90-XNUMX).
Although this work is considered a “Bible” of herbal medicine, Garcia de Orta demystified many miraculous attributes attributed to some plants, such as the Aloe vera.
They did not forgive him for the insult and, after his death, the bones were exhumed and set on fire, as well as all the existing volumes in Goa of his extraordinary work “Coloquiums of Simples and Drugs and Medicinal Couses of India” (April 1563).
Unfortunately, myths and myths about medicinal plants continue, as happened in the 90's with the panacea of Aloe vera, when the Franciscan friar Romano Zago, a Brazilian from San Francisco de Assis (Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil), at the time professor of Philosophy and Latin at the Convent of San Salvatore, in Jerusalem, gave his first major interview to the Argentine magazine “Florecillas de Tierra Santa”, for having “healed” the leukemia of Geraldito, an Argentine child, the cancer of Linda, sister of a friend of the nun Silvana, from the Community of Aida (Israel) and the cancer of fra Rafael Caputo, director of an ecclesiastical school in the Holy Land.
Last year (2020), a seer in Madagascar also announced that she had received a message for the cure of Covid-19, with a plant (Anniversary Artemisia), which is not even native to that country and from which a chemical (artemisinin) is extracted, which is the most recent drug for malaria.
It was enough that, in S. Tomé and Príncipe, where there is a plant they call “atlimija”, the president of the Traditional Medicine Association announced a syrup (“Covid”), saying that it had juice from Artemisia de Madagascar.
It turns out that, in S. Tomé and Príncipe, the Anniversary Artemisia and that the plant from which he made the said miraculous syrup for the cure of Covid-19, the “atlimija”, is not an Artemisia, but the Pluchea sagitalis, a plant of the same family, native to Tropical America, but introduced in these islands.
And just as happened in Portugal with the “miracles” of the Aloe vera, the syrup “Covid” and its attributes were news on Santomean television.
Fortunately, a pharmacist publicly clarified the deception, and the herbalist claimed that she had ruined his business.
However, Artemisia's fabulation spread to some West African countries. I think it has not yet arrived in our country.
Here, a treatment for Covid-19 discovered by scientists at the University of Nottingham (Great Britain) with a product was announced by some of our media outlets (thapsigargin) extracted from a plant (Thapsia garganic).
There were soon a number of enthusiasts to see if the plant, which is from the carrot family, existed in Portugal. Now, these scientists have published an article on the antiviral effects of thapsigargin, with promising results, but still very preliminary and only in rats.
There are several scientists researching chemical compounds from plants with anti-SARS-Cov2 activity, such as those published (2020) by scientists at the University of St. Petersburg (Russia).
But, until a drug is obtained, there is ample experimental work and scientific research. For example, until the marketing of the first cancer drug obtained from the Pacific yew taxanes began (Taxus brevifolia), it took about 30 years.
Of course, as with other miracle cures, not scientifically certified, such as aloe, morinda, mangosteen, there are already syrups, news and books about plants that cure Covid-19. Just go to “Wikipedia”.
I have verified that Brazil is a place of origin of these fables with medicinal plants. The interesting thing is that they always use plants, whose medicinal attributes have been known since Greek antiquity and oriental Ayurvedic medicine.
Unfortunately, the commercialization of medicinal plants in Portugal is not regulated. It must have the same standards as the marketing of medicines.
There are drugs that are only sold with a prescription and others are so toxic that they are not sold in pharmacies and are administered by a doctor or a nurse, as is the case with some cancer drugs.
Last year, an elderly woman appeared in my office who was carrying a package with pieces of a dried plant, which she had bought in an “herbanarium”, but which did not seem to be the one she used to use.
I managed to identify the plant and went to the only trustworthy book I have on medicinal plants and translated for it (the book is foreign) a phrase that referred to extreme caution with the concentration of infusions, as they could be lethal.
When I told the lady that lethal meant mortal, she was very scared. I calmed her down and told her that the best solution was not to use the plant in that package, as it wasn't worth complaining about the seller, because there were no legal rules to incriminate him.
In this country, still medieval in the commercialization of medicinal plants, it is very common to sell “cat for a hare” and anyone can sell.
Just go to Gerês, where on the street they are sold as hypericão-do-gerês (Hypericum androsaemum), a plant that is a St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum) which is not that of Gerês nor has the same properties, as that of Gerês (Hypericum androsaemum) is a protected plant that cannot be harvested or sold.
In addition, we still have medicinal plants fairs, typically medieval in nature, full of folklore, myths and fables.
I am not against the use of medicinal plants. What I cannot tolerate are unscrupulous traders, pseudo-specialists in medicinal plants, and the wanton marketing of these plants, some of which are highly toxic.
Author: Jorge Paiva is a botanist with internationally recognized work of merit. Discovered several species of plants new to science. Some received his name. He is a researcher at the Center for Functional Ecology at the University of Coimbra. He was awarded the Grande Premio Ciência Viva Montepio 2014.
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