Medicinal plants used for treatment of skin diseases in rural communities in Los Ríos province, Ecuador

Authors

  • Maritza Gallegos-Zurita Profesora investigadora titular, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud; Bióloga; Universidad Técnica de Babahoyo, Ecuador
  • Diana Gallegos-Z Profesora titular, Facultad de Ingeniería Industrial; Ingeniera en Electricidad y Automatización Industrial; Universidad de Guayaquil, Ecuador

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15381/anales.v78i3.13767

Keywords:

Skin Diseases, Plants, Medicinal, Therapeutic Uses.

Abstract

Introduction: Skin diseases occupy the third place among the ten causes of general morbidity in Ecuador, and traditional medicine practices are the most frequent therapeutic options in rural sectors. Objective: To identify the medicinal plants used for treatment of skin diseases. Design: Descriptive, cross-sectional study. Place: Two rural Babahoyo city parishes named Pimocha and Febres-Cordero, and located south of the Los Ríos province, Ecuador. Participants: Persons responsible for family care consisted in 198 women (61.7%) and 123 men (38.3%), 17 to 76 years old. Interventions: Previous informed consent, direct observations, interviews and surveys were conducted; the U-PlanMed questionnaire was used. Main outcome measures: Plant species and therapeutic uses. Results: Ten species of plants and their therapeutic applications for skin diseases were identified, such as acne, burns, pruritus, rash, dermatitis, ulcerations of the skin (sores), stains, and skin care. Conclusions: 100% of the population used medicinal plants for the treatment of skin conditions, mainly Aloe vera, Chamaemelum nobile, Melissa officinalis and Scoparia dulcis.

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Published

2017-11-30

Issue

Vol. 78 No. 3 (2017)

Section

Artículo Original

License

Copyright (c) 2017 Maritza Gallegos-Zurita, Diana Gallegos-Z

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How to Cite

1.
Gallegos-Zurita M, Gallegos-Z D. Medicinal plants used for treatment of skin diseases in rural communities in Los Ríos province, Ecuador. An Fac med [Internet]. 2017 Nov. 30 [cited 2024 Jul. 17];78(3):315-21. Available from: https://revistasinvestigacion.unmsm.edu.pe/index.php/anales/article/view/13767