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The objective of the present study was to evaluate the renal function of rural workers in a city of northeastern Brazil. A cross‐sectional study was carried out with 208 workers in Boquim, Sergipe, Brazil. Renal function markers and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) were evaluated and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was determined. The sample consisted mainly of illiterate males with a low usage of personal protective equipment and no training. Approximately 40% had some level of renal failure. Relative risk (1.59) of GFR alteration was higher in workers with more than 5 yr of exposure, mainly to organophosphates. Workers more than 60 yr of age presented a 17.06 greater risk for manifesting acute intoxication. Butyrylcholinesterase reduction was associated with reports of intoxication (relative risk of 11.36). We concluded that exposure to pesticides represented a risk factor for the development of nephrotoxic effects and alteration of renal function, which reinforced the need to implement measures to protect rural workers. Environ Toxicol Chem 2021;40:1132–1138. © 2020 SETAC

The study of medicinal plants is currently one of the alternative sources of allopathic medicine for therapeutic purposes. Given the high consumption of medicinal plants and the risks of indiscriminate use, the objective of the study was the identification of potential plant-drug interactions in the pharmacotherapy of the Public Health System users in a Brazilian Northeastern city, from 2015 to 2017 regarding the plant species used, as well as their therapeutic properties. An ethnobotanical study was conducted with a questionnaire. For this purpose, 46 types of plants were used by the 402 interviewees, where 297 were women, with 279 adult participants, and 269 medicinal plants used. Only 199 people out of the total interviewed used some medication, of which 55 associated the use of the drug with medicinal plants. We analyzed associations between the use of 13 plants and 27 drugs, totaling 42 potential interactions. Lemon balm was the vegetal species that presented the most common interactions among the interviewees. Thus, it was possible to conclude that medicinal plants are quite used for therapeutic purposes. However, one must be cautious about its use since they can interact with drugs, reducing or potentiating their effects.