Estudio etnobotánico y farmacognóstico de especies vegetales en la comunidad San Antonio de Shilpalá, cantón Riobamba de la provincia de Chimborazo

Abstract

The objective of this work was to conduct an ethnobotanical and pharmacognostic study of plant species in the community of San Antonio de Shilpalá, Riobamba canton, province of Chimborazo. The cultural revitalization workshop was developed in the school "Fernando Daquilema" with the participation of the inhabitants of the community and interviewed elderly people (connoisseurs and practitioners of traditional medicine), valuable ethnobotanical information on plant species, with emphasis on verbena (Verbena litoralis) was obtained, Caña yuyu (Sonchus oleraceus), Milan (Muehlenbeckia tamnifolia), Atsera (Lepidium bipinnatifidum) and Allku mikuna (Bromus catharticus). The taxonomic identification done in the Herbarium-ESPOCH, the micromorphological study was given through transverse and longitudinal sections of leaves and stems that were observed under the microscope. For the pharmacognostic study, the plants were dried, crushed and the moisture and ash content were determined, and by means of phytochemical screening, the secondary metabolites in each species were identified. As a result of the ethnobotanical study, ancestral knowledge was revitalized; the taxonomic and micromorphological study made it possible to identify each plant species and to know the main plant structures. The results of the ash content of S. oleraceus, M. tamnifolia and B. catharticus were found to be within the limit established by the regulations of the Royal Spanish Pharmacopoeia, while those of the species V. litoralis and L. bipinnatifidum exceeded the limit, and the moisture content was found to be within the acceptable range in all cases. Phytochemical screening allowed the identification of different secondary metabolites. It was concluded that the ethnobotanical study allowed revitalizing and preserving ancestral knowledge, through the pharmacognostic study it was possible to determine the quality control of each plant species and secondary metabolites. It is recommended to perform more studies on the traditional use of medicinal species in order to rescue, value and preserve ancestral knowledge.