Correlation between five minerals and the healing effect of Brazilian medicinal plants.

A great many Brazilian medicinal plants are used in wound healing. They are usually applied directly to wounds, some in natura as poultices, some as dried powders, and others as water extracts (teas) for bathing. Sixteen plants from the Atlantic Rain Forest of the State of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil were analyzed to determine the concentration of five minerals: silicon, manganese, iron, copper, and zinc to study their possible role in the healing processes. The analysis was performed in plant samples and in teas prepared from them. There appears to be a correlation between the healing effect of the plants and their content of these element.