PIH5 - Type of Ancestral Native Plants Used as Intestinal Antiparasitic in Indigenous Communities: The Evanes Project

Abstract

To explore the application of local herbal medicine against intestinal parasitosis in schoolchildren of the San Juan rural district, in the province of Chimborazo, Ecuador. Descriptive cross-sectional study, applied to schoolchildren (n=125), 5 to 13 years old, during August 2015 - February 2016. To determine the parental occupation, ethnicity and the use of natural medicine, surveys were applied. Data statistical processing was performed using SPSS version 20.0, applying Chi-square test. The signed informed consent of all participants was obtained. The project was carried out considering the ethical rules of Helsinki. 90.4% of mothers identified themselves as indigenous ethnic group. They worked, mainly, as housewives (49.0%) and in agricultural activities (34.7%) (p <0.001), and the fathers in agriculture (23.5%) and construction (25.5%) (p <0.001). The age mean of children was 7.81 ± 2.17 years, being female 53.2%. For intestinal antiparasitic treatment of schoolchildren, parents used 26 different combinations of herbs. The most used were tipo (20.4%) and pelos de coco (7.4%) with chamomile, and aloe vera with mallow (7.4%) (p <0.001). No statistically significant differences between ethnic groups, in the type of plants used, were found. Indigenous communities use several combinations of herbs with antiparasitic purposes, being chamomile with tipo or pelos de coco the most frequents, and aloe vera with mallow.