Gregória Oliveria’s research while affiliated with Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and other places

A collection of traditional medicine substances have been used as tonics or stimulants by indigenous people of Brazil for thousands of years. Since such substances may represent a source of potentially active drugs for treating various mental diseases, natural products used by the Caboclos, a population native to the Amazon, were reviewed. Special attention has been paid to Chaunochiton kappleri (Sagot ex Engler) Ducke, a species observed in the upland rain forests and savanna forests in the Brazilian portion of Amazonia. This plant, considered highly effective, is used as treatment for "nerve weakness," a traditional syndrome that resembles depressive disorders.