Plantas medicinales empleadas en el núcleo familiar para tratar enfermedades relacionadas al COVID-19 en el cantón Puyango, provincia de Loja

Abstract

Abstract:It describes the medicinal plants used to treat diseases related to the COVID-19 in the Puyango canton. The traditional knowledge of the family nucleus was valued, which involved 375 people. A semi-structured interview was used to identify the sociocultural characteristics of the informants, species used, forms of use, preparation, and administration. The results obtained were analyzed using the Index of Friedman (FL), Informant Consensus Factor (FIC) and Level of Significant Use TRAMIL (UST) and ANOVA. It is identified that the majority of people who use medicinal plants They are women from the rural sector, with primary education; 24 species distributed in 19 families. The most cited are: Eucalyptus globulus Labill; Zingiber officinale Roscoe, Piper aduncum L and Allium sativum L. The most used morphological structure are the leaves to treat conditions of the respiratory system and other diseases related to the respiratory system digestive. 19 categories of medicinal use are registered; there is a consensus for the most categories of uses reported among the study population. It was evidenced that the sociocultural characteristics of the informants, do not present significant values ​​for none of the variables evaluated. However, the great diversity of uses, and the consensus registered shows that there is an exchange of information about the species used for the reported uses mainly for ailments related to the digestive system and respiratory disease among the informants of the Puyango canton.