Quality of boldo (Peumus boldus Molina) commercialized in Conselheiro Lafaiete, southeastern Brazil

Boldus-of-Chile (Monimiaceae) is a shrub or small tree, originating in Chile. The leaves are used as eupeptic, choleretic and diuretic. In Brazil, the plant drug of P. boldus is adulterated with other species popularly known as boldo. The aim of this study was to evaluate the quality of boldo samples marketed in Conselheiro Lafaiete, Brazil. Commercial samples were purchased at local open fairs, totaling 6 treatments (T1 to T6). All treatments were subjected to macroscopic, biometric, morphological and organoleptic characterization and determination of moisture content, ash content, and foreign material. The experimental design was a completely randomized block with four replications, and the treatment means were compared to each other, and described parametrically. The packages were of the primary type, plastic, flexible, thermo-wrapped. Morphologically all treatments with rough, brittle leaves with rough surface, elliptic contour, acute apex, rounded base, split limb, penni-veined, whole margin, with a mean width of 2.40±0.19 cm and average length of 4.20±0.33 cm, were within acceptable values for commercialization. Of the analyzed treatments, T1 and T2 preserved the greyish green coloration and intense camphor odor. In the treatments, the organoleptic characteristics were altered indicating failure in the drying process, storage or of the vegetal drug packaging. Among T1 to T6, treatment T2 was superior to the others in leaf integrity. The average content of foreign material (7.21±0.25%) and a total ash (23.55±1.23%) were higher compared to values for vegetal drug (foreign material = 3%, ash = 10%). In all treatments, the analyzed plant drugs were of the described species, however, they did not comply with acceptable organoleptic characteristics, ash content and foreign matter, thus compromising the stability of the active principle, the shelf life of dry plant and therapeutic effects.