Estudio Etnobotánico, macro y micro-morfológico de plantas del género Passiflora utilizadas como sedantes en la provincia de Chimborazo.

Abstract

This study established the sites of the Chimborazo province where 5 species of passionflower were located, which according to literature, they have benefits in medicine, as anxiolytics; passionflower species studied were: P. tripartita, P. ligularis, P. mixta, P. quadrangularis and P. manicata. Field trips were made to establish a GPS geographical coordinates which are located every passionflower species, determining the environmental conditions in order to establish the living areas inhabited by these species. In the macro-morphological study the collected plant material was conditioned and taken to the Faculty of Natural Resources – School of Agriculture, where it was preceded to the recognition of the characteristics of each plant structures to make the micro-morphological study, cuts of flowers and leaves was made, these were given chemical treatment with formaldehyde – acetic-acid alcohol (FAA) and paraffin, then histological sections that were stained by staining with safranin were made and Fast – Green; these were studied by optical microscopy , microscopic study of pollen of each species which was concluded by subjecting the anthers to a process acetolysis and microscopic observation. As results it was obtained that the species are located in two areas such as: dry forest and wet forest, the morphological study generated a database of plant structures allowing identify, control the type of quality of vegetable drug, ethno botany study showed communities still use these plants as medicine to treat anxiety and insomnia problems. It could conclude that the studied species are of great importance in folk medicine which proven to have anxiolytic effects, to the recognition of each species is necessary by their morphology. It is recommend using this study as a basis for the search for new medicinal uses of the passionflowers genus.