Plantas medicinales y saberes etnobotánicos en comunidades Kichwas de Cotundo, Napo – Ecuador

The objective of this ethnobotanical study was to document and analyze the use of medicinal plant species in the Kichwa communities of Nueva Esperanza and Buenos Aires, located in the parish of Cotundo, Napo, Ecuador. A total of 110 structured surveys were administered, divided into three sections: general information, knowledge and daily use of medicinal plants, and specific characteristics of the species (names, uses, methods of preparation, routes of administration, parts used, and location). In addition, botanical collections were made in situ for taxonomic identification, and Chi-square statistical tests and the TRAMIL significant use level (UST) were applied. The results showed a total of 45 species distributed across 26 families and 38 genera, with Solanum americanum, Verbena officinalis, Kalanchoe pinnata, and Guatteria glaberrima being the most widely used. Most species (69%) were found in primary forests, while 22% were recorded in both forests and farms, and 9% only in farms. Cooking was the most frequent method of preparation (47%), and ingestion as a beverage was the main route of administration (55%), with the use of leaves (42%) predominating over other plant organs. The TRAMIL index allowed us to identify three species with significant cultural importance. In conclusion, the research demonstrates the validity of ancestral Kichwa knowledge about medicinal plants, highlights the cultural and therapeutic relevance of key species, and contributes to the conservation of biocultural diversity in the Ecuadorian Amazon