Plantas medicinales utilizadas para el tratamiento de parásitos intestinales en la parroquia El Tambo, cantón Catamayo, provincia de Loja

Abstract

The study documents the uses of plants used in traditional medicine to treat intestinal parasites in El Tambo parish. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews in nine neighborhoods. The informant consensus, fidelity level, Shannon index and ANOVA analysis were analyzed. There were 110 species, 94 genera, 47 families; of these, 65 species are introduced, 44 native and one endemic, used in 97 therapeutic uses of 16 medical categories. The highest values of FIC (0.80) are reported for diseases of the ear and mastoid processes, digestive system, among others. Carica papaya L. and Pelargonium odoratissimum (L.) L'Her were the most commonly used species. The majority of plants were herbs, using leaves and branches in the preparation of remedies. There were significant differences according to age and level of education. The greatest diversity of species cited (> 3.52) was observed in two neighborhoods. The study revealed that people have a great knowledge of medicinal plants, being as a baseline for the isolation of new drugs. Some useful species face threats and need conservation initiatives for sustainable management