Conservación del conocimiento tradicional sobre plantas medicinales en el Cantón Quero

The traditional use of medicinal plants has been a deeply rooted ancestral practice in rural communities in Latin America, where ethnobotanical knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation as part of their cultural heritage. In the current context, marked by growing interest in traditional medicine due to resistance to conventional treatments, the systematization of this knowledge has become essential. Therefore, this study focused on characterizing the traditional use of medicinal plants by the population of Quero Canton, in the province of Tungurahua, Ecuador, with the goal of preserving this knowledge. To this end, an observational, descriptive, and cross-sectional study was conducted, using 113 surveys with randomly selected key informants. Fifty-eight species belonging to 33 botanical families were identified, with Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, and Umbelliferae being the most representative. The species with the highest levels of use were Chamaemelum nobile, Urtica sp., and Origanum vulgare. However, the leaves, stems, and flowers have been the most commonly used parts, while infusions and oral administration have emerged as the predominant methods of preparation and administration. It has been concluded that knowledge about the use of medicinal plants remains current and functional, highlighting the priority of their preservation, scientific validation, and eventual integration into intercultural public health programs.