A first survey on the medicinal plants of the Chazuta valley (Peruvian Amazon)

Abstract

Aim of the study At present, the Peruvian Amazonian district of Chazuta represents one of the main reservoirs of the San Martin Quechuas (also known as Lamas Quechuas) and their culture. These particular Quechuas, as well as the region of Chazuta, have been seldom studied from an academic point of view. With the objective of contributing to the ethnopharmacological knowledge of the area, a field survey on the use of medicinal plants was performed in the region. Material and methods The information was obtained through interviews to the 6.3% of the district rural adult population (140 individuals, 75% of which was considered Quechua). Results In total, the study recorded 945 medicinal use-reports of 289 plant species collected in Chazuta, which belong to 202 genera in 81 families of vascular plants. Mainly, plant remedies were employed to treat musculoskeletal disorders (29.7% of all the medicinal use-reports), gastrointestinal complaints (13.4%) and skin conditions (12.9%). Conclusions In Chazuta, medicinal plants are used within a context of a traditional medicine that confronts health and illness from an integral vision, in which the medicinal uses of plants, its combination with lifestyle advice, and its participation in the performance of rituals and other practices concerning to what is often named as “the world of spirits” have to be considered.