Plantas medicinales comercializadas en los mercados y ferias libres del cantón la Joya de los Sachas, provincia de Orellana

Abstract

Abstract: The study aimed to evaluate traditional knowledge regarding the trade and use of medicinal plants sold in markets and street fairs, as well as those used by traditional healers, in the La Joya de los Sachas canton, Orellana province. It employed a descriptive, non-experimental, cross-sectional field study design with a mixed-methods approach. Data were gathered through semi-structured surveys with 26 participants knowledgeable about local traditional medicine. A total of 39 medicinal species across 31 botanical families were recorded, with Lamiaceae and Rubiaceae standing out as the families with the highest number of species. The most common medicinal uses addressed digestive, analgesic, respiratory, and genitourinary conditions; infusions were the predominant preparation method, leaves were the most frequently used plant part, and oral administration was the primary route. Furthermore, the Fidelity Level and Informant Consensus Factor indices demonstrated high cultural recognition of specific species for treating particular ailments; statistical analysis revealed no significant differences based on gender, parish, or education level, highlighting the importance of these factors in the conservation, transmission, and practice of Amazonian traditional medicinal knowledge.