Abstract

REYES-MATAMOROS, J.; MARTINEZ-MORENO, D.; FUENTES-LOPEZ, J. G.  and  BASURTO-PENA, F.. Relative importance of medicinal species offered in the Tepeaca market, Puebla, Mexico. Polibotánica [online]. 2022, n.54, pp.271-289.  Epub Sep 12, 2022. ISSN 1405-2768.  https://doi.org/10.18387/polibotanica.54.17.

The use of medicinal plants in Mexico is widely spread and they are the subject of an active trade at national and even international level. The aim of the study was to register the medicinal plants commercialized in the weekly market or tianguis of Tepeaca, Puebla, Mexico and to evaluate their relative importance. 16 open interviews were conducted including all the medicinal plant merchants of the tianguis. 66 species, 60 genera and 38 families were recorded. The Asteraceae and Lamiaceae presented the highest number of genera and species. Of the registered species, 43 are native and 23 introduced, 24 species are cultivated and 42 are collected. The average sale price of the plants is $10.00 per bunch and the most expensive species is the black radish with a cost of $100.00 per piece. The most traded plant parts were leaves, stems and flowers, followed far behind by bark and roots. Medicinal species are used to treat 46 ailments that can be grouped into 12 categories of Apparatus and Systems of the human body. The most frequent form of preparation is the decoction and the most recurrent form of administration is oral. The Index of relative importance of the species was obtained as a measure of its cultural importance. The presence and persistence of medicinal plants in tianguis and markets is due to the tradition that people have, to treat their ailments with medicinal plants. This is reflected in the high number of sales sites that offer them and in the high number of species to treat ailments. Medicinal plants are species of cultural significance for human populations and in the Tepeaca market they are grouped into four categories of importance.

Keywords : Tianguis; traditional markets; medicinal plants; medical ethnobotany.

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