Chabaco Armijos

Traditional medicine applied by the Saraguro yachakkuna: a preliminary approach to the use of sacred and psychoactive plant species in the southern region of Ecuador

BackgroundDuring the colonial period, the indigenous saraguros maintained their traditions, knowledge, and practices to restore and preserve the health of their members. Unfortunately, many of their practices and medicinal resources have not been documented. In this study, we sought to document the traditional healers’ (yachakkuna saraguros) knowledge about medicinal and psychoactive plants used in the mesas and in magical-religious rituals. The study was conducted under a technical and scientific cooperation agreement between the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja (UTPL), the Dirección Provincial de Salud de Loja (DPSL), and the Saraguro Healers Council (Consejo de Sanadores de Saraguro).MethodsFor the present study, the DPSL and Saraguro Healers Council selected the 10 yachakkuna most recognized for their knowledge and their use of sacred and psychoactive species. Ten interviews with the selected yachakkuna were conducted between 2010 and 2011 to ascertain how the Saraguro traditional healing system is structured and to obtain a record of the sacred and medicinal plant species used to treat supernatural diseases and for psychoactive purposes.ResultsThe present study describes the traditional health system in the Saraguro indigenous community located in southern Ecuador. It also describes the main empirical methods used to diagnose diseases: direct physical examination of the patient, observation of the patient’s urine, documentation of the patient’s pulse, limpia, palpation and visionary methods, including supernatural diseases (susto, vaho de agua, mal aire, mal hecho, shuka) and reports of the use of sacred and medicinal psychoactive plants, such as the San Pedro cactus (Echinopsis pachanoi), wandug (Brugmansia spp.), and tobacco (Nicotiana spp.). This study also describes the rituals (limpia, soplada) employed by the Saraguro yachakkuna to treat supernatural diseases. Finally, we report on the main plants used during limpia in the Saraguro community.ConclusionThe current traditional health system in the Saraguro community is the cultural expression of the Saraguros’ presence as an Andean group in southern Ecuador: it represents their character as indigenous group, their ability to survive as a community despite strong external pressure, and the desire to maintain their ancient healing heritage.

Chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oil of Baccharis obtusifolia Kunth from Loja, Ecuador

The essential oil of aerial parts from Baccharis obtusifolia (Asteraceae) growing wild in Ecuador was obtained by hydrodistillation and examined by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS and GC–flame ionization detector (GC–FID) analysis. Thirty-one individual compounds were identified and constitute 96.1% of the total composition of the oil. The main constituents of the oil were limonene (28.3%), germacrene-D (9.8%), α-pinene (9.0%), β-pinene (8.2%), bicyclogermacrene (6.2%) and δ-cadinene (5.7%). The essential oil showed significant antibacterial and antifungal activity. Baccharis obtusifolia oil exhibited a moderate antibacterial effect against Klebsiella pneumoniae (ATCC 9997) and Enterococcus faecalis (ATCC 29212), and good antifungal activity against Trichophyton rubrum (ATCC 28188) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (ATCC 28185). In this study, the chemical composition and biological activity of the essential oil of B. obtusifolia (Asteraceae) are reported for the first time.

Ethnobotany of Indigenous Saraguros: Medicinal Plants Used by Community Healers “Hampiyachakkuna” in the San Lucas Parish, Southern Ecuador

This paper reports the results of an ethnobotanical survey on the use of medicinal plants by community healers “Hampiyachakkuna” in the San Lucas Parish, province of Loja, Ecuador. A particular ethnic group, the indigenous Saraguros, inhabits this region. This study reports 183 plant species used in 75 different curative therapies by the Saraguro healers.