Use of medicinal plants according to the ancestral knowledge of the indigenous peoples of the Yacuambi Canton, Zamora Chinchipe-Ecuador

Abstract

Ancestral knowledge about medicinal plants plays a fundamental role in health. Despite this, this knowledge has received little attention, linked to the loss of cultural identity. Under this context, the present research is developed, whose objective is to document the use of medicinal plants, preparation technique, route of administration and the diseases treated, based on the ancestral knowledge of the indigenous peoples of the Yacuambi canton. Regarding the methodology used: semi-structured interviews were applied to 53 people over 40 years of age, from eight rural communities, belonging to three parishes of the canton, which allowed gathering information on the species of plants used, their vegetative parts, preparation techniques and route of administration. Among the results, 103 species of medicinal plants distributed in 47 families were recorded, being Lamiaceae the most representative with 12 species, followed by Asteraceae with 11 species; women use more plants than men, whose age varies mainly between 40 - 45 years; most use the leaves and the most common technique of preparation was the infusion, to treat different diseases, by oral administration. Among the most used species are Clinopodium brownei (Sw.) Kuntze (1) and Solanum americanum Mill. (0.92), which represents the highest knowledge richness index and the highest use-value index. These species are of great importance because they may have the greatest potential for future use as a resource for the pharmaceutical industry