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This article describes the key facts related to the use of bioactive plant species throughout human history. Facts and events ranging from the prehistoric communities, ancient world (India, China, Greece, Egypt), the Middle Age and the period of the Great Navigations are presented. In relation to the Brazil, are reported the most striking facts pertaining to the history of the flora's use for therapeutic purposes, describing the most important events that occurred since the Colonial period to the beginning of the XXI Century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The street fairs are dynamic spaces, essential for socio-economic integration between communities, especially in small towns. Among the products available are medicinal plants, important therapeutic resources for the poorest portion of the population. We aimed to determine the socioeconomic and cultural characteristics of the herbalist in Currais Novos/RN. The activity is predominantly practiced by men, low income and education. The trade of medicinal plants is the main source of income for 67.0% of the respondents and the data points tend to the extinction of the activity at the street fair of Currais Novos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of medicinal plants is present in the culture of all nations, it's commonly trade at the open street markets. The bad conditions showed on the sell places, associated with the belief that "the natural cannot be bad", can result in problems to the health of the consumers. We aimed to characterize the socioeconomic profile of the sellers of herbal medicine from Lagoa Nova/RN, describing their methods of stock and exposure, also their beliefs into the use of these therapeutic resources. Interviews were held oriented by structured forms. From the total of the interviewees, sixty per cent were black, twenty per cent were mixed-race and forty per cent were white. The males predominated with sixty per cent of the interviewees. The transmission of ethno botanical knowledge and the point of sale were mostly familiar, reaching eighty per cent. The structure conditions and the hygiene in the point of sale were precarious. The interviewees did not know about the potential risks to the health to the consumers in the inappropriate use of the herbal medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]