Medicinal potential of tree vegetation for respiratory system treatment in southern Brazil

The Southern coal region of Santa Catarina concentrates 10.5% of Brazil's mineral coal reserves, and the ore extraction process has greatly contributed to the environmental degradation of the Urussanga River Basin in this region. At a global level, areas contaminated by coal mining cause public health concerns, owing to illnesses that may be associated with this practice, for example, respiratory diseases. In this context, the present study aimed to identify tree species with medicinal potential to treat respiratory diseases, sampled along the tributaries of the Urussanga River. For this purpose, a bibliographical review was conducted for 119 tree species recorded in the study area through a previous floristic survey. We searched the Scopus, SciELO, Science Direct, and PubMed databases for ethnobotanical and phytochemical studies that addressed the medicinal potential of these species for the respiratory system. Of the 119 species, 12 (10.08%) showed medicinal potential for the respiratory system. Of these, five were recommended for coughs and unspecified diseases affecting the respiratory tract, four for asthma, three for bronchitis, two for pneumonia, and one for laryngitis and acute lung problems. This finding highlights the medicinal potential of tree species native to Brazil present in the Urussanga River Hydrographic Basin region. However, further scientific studies are necessary to evaluate the phytochemical profile and pharmacological activity of these tree species from the Atlantic Forest biome, whose floristic composition has already been notably modified.