Medicinal plants, popular knowledge, and the biological clock of the human body

the educational experience of therapeutic practices in an extension project

Abstract

In line with the 2030 Agenda, this teaching and extension project promoted educational actions in the field of health and medicinal plants, fostering the exchange of experiences among professionals, academic and non-academic communities, and supporting the construction of a collaborative learning network in the targeted territories. The initiative contributes to the guidelines of the National Policy on Integrative and Complementary Practices and to the principles of Continuing Education within the Unified Health System (SUS). In practical terms, the project values popular knowledge in the use of medicinal plants for the preparation of teas, syrups, creams, ointments, tinctures, and artisanal soaps, encouraging their natural and safe use. The development of an educational biological clock, which associates medicinal plants with the periods of highest activity of organs in the human body, facilitates community access to information on cultivation and application for the treatment of specific diseases. Additionally, the project addresses regional needs by promoting interaction between the university, the Health Pastoral, and the community, integrating teaching, extension, and social development through practical activities such as cultivation techniques, seedling production, species identification, preparation of culinary recipes and plant-based cleaning products, and the making of skin creams.