Ethnobotanical study of the use of medicinal plants by the population of the city of Puyo, Pastaza province, Ecuadorian Amazon

Abstract

This study identified the use of medicinal plants by the population in the Puyo city, Ecuador, based on traditional knowledge. The Amazon has a great biodiversity of plants with medicinal properties. For this purpose, 73 surveys were applied, where sociodemographic information, the type of structure, and uses of medicinal plants to treat diseases were collected. The use value index (UVI) and the level of significant use (LSU) of each plant were determined. 60.28% of the participants are between 51 and 70 years old, and 56.16% of them were women. It is concluded that the inhabitants of Puyo use 107 medicinal plants, classified into 63 botanical families, for the treatment of 78 diseases. 78% of the respondents indicated that the transfer of knowledge is family-based, fundamental for the conservation of plant species and the preservation of ancestral cultural heritage.