Ethnopharmacological inventory of plants used in Coronel Portillo Province of Ucayali Department, Peru

Lucie Polesna, Zbynek Polesny, Zoyla Mirella Clavo Peralta, Anders Hansson, Ladislav Kokoska

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

17 Scopus citations

Abstract

Context: Despite a rich tradition of folk medicinal usage of plants in the Peruvian Amazon, no studies documenting ethnobotanical information of Coronel Portillo Province of Ucayali Department have been published at an international level. Objective: This field research documented traditional ethnobotanical knowledge related to the local use of medicinal plants. Materials and methods: Ethnobotanical data were collected in native communities around Pucallpa city (Coronel Portillo Province of Ucayali Department, Peru) and in the city itself during the period June-October 2007. The data were collected through direct interviews with 23 people. Results: Uses of 30 plant species belonging to 18 families in traditional medicine are described in this article. Botanical and vernacular names, plant part used, popular medicinal use, forms of preparation and applications of the herbal remedies for each species are reported. Discussion and conclusion: Among investigated species, Brunfelsia grandiflora D. Don (Solanaceae), Calycophyllum spruceanum (Benth.) K. Schum. (Rubiaceae), Naucleopsis glabra Spruce (Moraceae), Phthirusa pyrifolia Eichler (Loranthaceae) were identified to be widely used in the studied area. However their beneficial health properties have not been well studied.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)125-136
Number of pages12
JournalPharmaceutical Biology
Volume49
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2011
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported by the Czech Republic’s Development Cooperation project (23/MZe/B/07-10), the Youth Activity Fund of Explorers Club, the Foundation “Nadani Josefa, Marie a Zdenky Hlavkovych”, and the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CIGA 20085001).

Keywords

  • Ethnobotany
  • ethnopharmacology
  • medicinal plants
  • Peru
  • Ucayali Department

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