O papel dos museus universitários na conservação de coleções farmacêuticas de drogas vegetais

Abstract

Pharmacognosy is considered the oldest area of ​​Pharmaceutical Sciences, in which plants are studied from botanical, chemical and pharmacological aspects. Within this large area is quality control, in which pharmaceutical collections of authentic samples of plant drugs - raw material for the production of phytotherapeutics - are important. The Schools of Pharmacy maintained spaces to house pharmaceutical collections of plant drugs (dehydrated parts of plants that contain active substances), but with the change in the approach of Pharmacy Courses to the study of synthetic drugs, these spaces were deactivated. At UFMG, the collection known as the “Richard Wasicky Museum” was created in 1950 and, in 2004, the collection was transferred from the School of Pharmacy to the Natural History Museum and Botanical Garden of UFMG and accredited in the National Genetic Heritage Management System. It houses 800 samples of plant drugs from native, exotic and imported species. At the Museum, the collection is part of the UFMG Database of Aromatic, Medicinal and Toxic Plants and Samples, which houses data related to the conservation of biodiversity and traditional knowledge. Recovering and preserving these collections is also an important strategy for preserving Brazil's genetic heritage.