Medicinal plants sold at the El Río Market, Camagüey, Cuba

Abstract

INFORMATION REGARDING MEDICINAL PLANTS SOLD IN THE EL RÍO MARKET, CAMAGÜEY, CUBA, REVEALED 184 SPECIES BELONGING TO 69 VASCULAR PLANT FAMILIES. THE MOST IMPORTANT FAMILY WAS FABACEAE S.L. WITH 13 SPECIES, FOLLOWED BY LAMIACEAE WITH 12, AND ASTERACEAE WITH 8. MORE THAN 90 GENERAL MEDICINAL INDICATIONS WERE RECORDED TO TREAT A WIDE RANGE OF ILLNESSES AND AILMENTS. THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF SPECIES AND APPLICATIONS WERE REPORTED FOR DIGESTIVE SYSTEM DISORDERS, THE MUSCULOSKELETAL SYSTEM (RHEUMATISM AND THE COMPLEX OF CONTUSIONS), KIDNEY AND OTHER UROLOGICAL PROBLEMS, AND GYNECOLOGICAL DISORDERS. THE PART OF THE PLANT MOST FREQUENTLY USED WAS THE LEAF (42.9%) AND THE FRUIT (22.3%). THE REMEDIES WERE MAINLY PREPARED AS A DECOCTION (51.6%) AND AN INFUSION (39.1%). THE PRESENT DATA DOCUMENT THE KNOWLEDGE OF HERBAL MEDICINE BY VILLAGERS OF CAMAGÜEY FOR TO TREAT HEALTH PROBLEMS.