ABSTRACT
Ethnopharmacology is the science that studies human-plant interaction and seeks, among others, the rescue of knowledge transmitted from one generation to another. The Pilocarpus genus is the only known species that contain this compound, and many of the species of this genus have been threatened with extinction due to over-harvesting of wild populations. Pilocarpus spp. has been studied widely, due to its composition of secondary metabolites and great economic importance for Brazil, mainly because it contains in its leaves a high content of alkaloids, such as pilocarpine, an imidazolic alkaloid used worldwide in the control of primary glaucoma. Maia et al. reported bioactivities of this species such as induction of sweating, constriction of the pupil, acceleration of peristalsis, induction of salivation and in the treatment of bronchitis, dry skin, fever, acne, hair loss, and seborrhea.
