Discover the use of medicinal plants of the Incas. For millennia, human civilization settled in the Andes, a geography that generates great challenges due to its climate and altitude. But this factor was not enough to stop the Incas from building their cities. To do this, the Incas organized a great advance in medical sciences, part of which is that they trained doctors and wise men with a deep knowledge of the phytopathological properties of plants in all states. Thus, to this day we can assimilate this great medical science on the use of some of the medicinal plants of the Incas.
The Inca civilization, which flourished in the South American Andes between the 13th and 16th centuries, developed an advanced medical system based on the use of medicinal plants. This knowledge, transmitted orally and perfected over generations, not only allowed them to treat diseases, but also to maintain a balance between body, mind and spirit. The Incas had a deep knowledge of nature and, in particular, of medicinal plants. The Incas developed a system of medicine based on the use of herbs and plants that still surprises today for its effectiveness and relevance.
Medicinal plants have been used by various cultures throughout history to treat diseases, relieve symptoms and promote well-being. In recent decades, scientific research has begun to validate many of these traditional practices, discovering the active compounds and mechanisms of action that explain their therapeutic effects. Below, we conduct an in-depth analysis of the most important medicinal plants used by the Incas, exploring their properties, traditional uses and their relevance today.
In the local markets of Peru, there are sellers specialized in the use and therapeutic properties of the medicinal plants of the Incas, many of the Andean inhabitants only treat their illnesses or diseases with the use of medicinal plants. It is recommended not to self-medicate. You should first do some research on the benefits and risks of each medicinal plant, since they do not produce the same healing symptoms in all people. Likewise, we do not recommend going to salons or offices of false shamans or healers who do not have the adequate pharmacological study of these plants.
The origins of traditional Inca medicine date back to ancient times, when indigenous communities in the Andes developed healing techniques based on the observation of nature and knowledge passed down from generation to generation. The Incas inherited this ancient wisdom and enriched it with their own practices, fusing empiricism with a deep spirituality. Inca medicine was characterized by its sacred respect for Pachamama (Mother Earth) and by the belief in the interconnection between all living beings. This worldview influenced the selection, preparation and administration of medicinal plants, considered gifts of nature for the balance and well-being of the community.
The medical knowledge of the Incas was transmitted orally and practically, from master to disciple, in a process of continuous learning that respected traditions. Shamans and healers, central figures in this practice, were revered for their wisdom and their ability to heal both the body and the spirit. Its legacy lives on today in traditional Andean medicine practices, which seek to preserve and honor this ancestral heritage.
The Inca doctors belonged to the class of scholars (amauta), who taught at the aristocratic school of Yachahuasi, in the monumental city of Cuzco, magnificently planned by Pachakuteq. Among the Inca laws was the provision that bloodletting surgeons (sircak) were very experienced in the use of medicinal herbs, that is, hampi-kamayok or ‘possessors of medicine’, whose knowledge was inherited from father to son. From the nomenclature of the diseases it can be deduced that the diagnosis hardly went beyond checking the symptoms in relation to their topography. Some names describe the external appearance, for example, ‘interrupted inspiration’ was pneumonia and ‘drying disease’ was probably tuberculosis.
Among the surgical procedures, bloodletting was commonly practiced. The lancet, made from a flint blade, fitted like a hammer into a wooden handle split at the top, was introduced into the vein by tapping it, if possible in the vicinity of the painful area. In the case of headaches, this point was between the eyebrows. Reducing dislocations, setting fractured bones, incising abscesses and suturing wounds were, of course, the tasks of the surgeon. Like the Araucanians, they may have used the nightshade Datura ferox (scopolamine) as an anaesthetic. Fractured areas were wrapped in seaweed or fresh huaripuri leaves (Valeriana coarctata).
Balms played an important role in the treatment of wounds and ulcers. Most were resins of legumes or benzoin (Java incense). The best-known so-called Peruvian balsam (from Myroxylon pereiræ) comes from Central America, while Myroxylon peruiferum supplies the true Andean remedy; the oil from its seeds was used for the same purpose. Applications of the still-bleeding flesh of the vicuña (Vicugna vicugna) were used in inflammatory processes, and the fat of the American ostrich (Rhea strutio) or the condor (Vultur gryphus) was used for all kinds of sclerosis and compact tumors of the extremities. The wool of the llama (Auchenia) and the charred feathers of birds were used as haemostyptics.
The pepper tree was widely used: its leaves were decocted for skin diseases and chronic ulcers, and its dried resin was used as a healing poultice and to speed up wound healing. The crushed leaves of the small Chillca bush (Baccharis lanceolata) closed recent lesions. The milky, acrid juice of Carica papaya, still green, gave good results against stubborn dermatoses. Ulcers, wounds and scars were cauterized with copper sulphate (lipes stone); an ointment made of animal fats with sulphur was used to treat llama mange. A special kind of clay (chacco) was used to clean hair. So-called refractory ulcers, including Andean disease (American leishmaniasis-blastomycosis), were treated with arsenic sulphide, called huañuy hampi or ‘medicine for death’.
The Incas had a deep belief in the healing power of plants and the importance of preparing them correctly to ensure their effectiveness. They mainly used two preparation methods: infusions and decoctions. Infusions consisted of pouring hot water over medicinal herbs and letting them sit for a certain time, allowing the release of their active ingredients. Decoctions, on the other hand, involved boiling the herbs in water for a longer period, resulting in a more concentrated extraction of their medicinal properties. Both methods required precise knowledge of the proper timing and proportions to achieve the desired effects in the treatment of various ailments.
These techniques were not only medicinal practices, but also a cultural legacy that was carefully passed down from generation to generation. Through infusions and decoctions, the Incas treated everything from headaches and digestive problems to more complex illnesses, such as infections or general discomfort. Today, this ancestral wisdom is still valued and practiced in many indigenous communities in America, keeping alive the tradition and respect for the healing properties of plants.
In addition to infusions and decoctions, the Incas used medicinal herbs topically to treat skin, muscle and joint conditions. One of their most common techniques was the preparation of poultices, which consisted of crushed plants mixed with other natural ingredients, applied directly to the affected area. They also prepared ointments based on medicinal herbs and vegetable oils, creating natural remedies that relieved pain and accelerated wound healing.
These topical applications were an essential pillar of traditional Inca medicine, which not only focused on treating internal ailments, but also those that manifested externally on the skin and body. With a deep connection with nature and its resources, the Incas developed effective and sustainable methods to take advantage of the healing properties of plants, thus contributing to the well-being and overall health of their community.
The botanical wealth of the Andes has been of interest to the scientific community, which has conducted numerous studies on the Andean herbs used by the Incas in order to validate their therapeutic efficacy. Recent research has shown that many of these plants possess active compounds with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antibacterial properties, which make them useful in the treatment of various diseases.
Among the most studied Andean herbs are maca, cat’s claw, quinoa and aloe, which have demonstrated health benefits ranging from increased energy and vitality to protecting the immune system and preventing chronic diseases. These scientific studies have helped to support the traditional use of these medicinal herbs and promote their integration into conventional medicine.
The combination of the ancestral wisdom of the Incas in the use of medicinal herbs with current scientific evidence has given rise to an integrative approach to phytotherapy, which seeks to take advantage of the best of both worlds to promote people’s health and well-being. Herbal medicine based on indigenous traditions of the Americas continues to gain followers around the world, recognizing the value of medicinal herbs as an invaluable source of healing and balance.
Inca doctors preferred to use the leaves (in 25% of all uses) or the whole plant (24%) for the preparation of their remedies. In 19% of cases the stems of the plants were used, most commonly together with the leaves. Flowers (10%), seeds (7%), fruits and roots (4% each), bark (3%), fruit peel (2%), and latex and wood (1% each) were used for a small number of the recipes.
Almost 64% of the remedies used in Inca times were prepared using fresh plant material. Many of the introduced species were cultivated in fields and gardens, but most of the indigenous species were collected in the wild. This indicates that a widespread system of plant collectors was needed to supply the fresh plant material needed for medicine.
Inca physicians often employed very complex mixtures of many different plants in their treatments. The use of a single species for treatments was rare. Most commonly, plant material was boiled in water, or in some cases in agave alcohol to extract the active compounds. In some cases, plant material was macerated in corn cane alcohol for longer periods of time before use. All curanderos had surprisingly well-measured recipes for treatment with very specific amounts of the plant material used to prepare the remedies.
The most frequent way of administering remedies was to prepare a decoction and ingest it orally (52% of all uses) followed by application in the form of a poultice (38%, crushed and/or boiled plant and applied). Seven percent of all plant uses involved the preparation of a seguro, a small jar filled with plant material along with various perfumes. This amulet is to be carried by the patient on his or her person or placed in the house and used for periodic blessings.
Small tree or low tree. Leaves are ovate, acuminate; truncated, more or less carded at the base. Inflorescence in terminal panicle. The fruits are spiny, ovoid, pointed capsules, longer than wide. Red (orange), papillose seeds.
The leaves are used for skin infections: leave 9 to 12 leaves in a liter of water overnight and then apply on the lesion.
Vaginal antiseptic and healing: put 9 to 12 leaves rubbed overnight in a liter of water. The liquid is applied in vaginal washes.
Hepatitis: take the decoction of the leaf buds.
Vomiting: in infusion, put three leaves for each cup, take one cup three times a day.
Bixin, norbixin, orelin, vitamin C, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron
Herb up to 1.5 m tall. Elliptical, oblong, dark green leaves, blade 10-70 cm long and 20 cm wide. Inflorescence in clusters, at the end of a stem, between the surrounding base of the leaves. Fruit: three-celled capsule. Spherical seeds.
Stems
Mastitis: the stem wrapped in a banana leaf is heated on the fire; while still warm, the juice is squeezed onto the affected area.
Dry cough: take a teaspoon of the juice from the fresh stems.
Leaves
Skin infections: place the cooked leaves on the part where there is itching.
Headaches: the leaves are crushed and held to the head with a cloth.
Rheumatism: the leaves are boiled, receiving the steam on the affected area.
Ulcers: boil the leaves and wash the skin ulcers with the liquid.
Root
Antigonorrhoeic and diuretic: take the decoction of the roots and leaves
Herb or subshrub up to 1 m tall. Leaves ovate to elliptic, acute or acuminate at the apex, attenuated basally, often asymmetrical, blade 3-8 cm long and 3-4 cm wide. Inflorescence in axillary fascicle of 2 or 3 flowers; truncated calyx, 1-2 mm long; white, whitish or yellowish corolla. Fruit: berry, oblong-ovate, smooth, shiny. Seed: smooth and kidney-shaped.
Fruit
Intestinal parasitosis: the fruit is crushed in water, filtered and the resulting liquid, mixed with warm water, is used in enemas at night.
Skin infections, wounds: the dried fruit is crushed, placed on wounds (not open) and covered with a bandage.
Rheumatism: rub the painful area with the fresh fruit
Leaves
Galactogen: chewing the fresh leaves helps milk production.
Abscesses: the leaves, smeared with oil, are applied to open abscesses.
Seeds
Toothache: place a seed on the painful part
Capsin, lipids, carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins A, B and C. Make sure the preparation is not spicy to apply in intestinal parasitosis.
Shrub or lianescent of 2 to 3 m. Oblong, acuminate leaves, 20 cm long.
Root
Rheumatism: macerate five roots in a bottle with brandy for two days. Take a small glass on an empty stomach and then bathe.
Leaves
Rheumatism: decoction of three male leaves and three female leaves plus four red achiote leaves; bathe with the liquid, and make poultices with the leaves on the painful area.
Stigmasterol, alkaloids, saponins, flavonoids, flavonic pigments.
Tree up to 25 m tall, thorny trunk. Leafy leaf; ovate to elliptical leaflets, obtuse at the base and apex, 13 cm long by 8 cm wide, pale green, slightly pubescent or scaly on the underside. Terminal inflorescence, racemose, with few flowers. Flowers with a broadly campanulate calyx, up to 1.5 cm wide, orange corolla. Moniliform fruit, up to 20 cm long by 1.5 cm wide. Brown or light brown seeds.
Bark
Ulcers: the grated bark is placed on the ulcer.
Hemorrhoids: the liquid obtained from a decoction of the bark is used in sitz baths.
Antiseptic and mycosis: the decoction is used in washes on the affected area.
Leaves
Urinary infections: the decoction of 250 g of leaves is left to settle. Take half a glass on an empty stomach for seven days.
Prostate inflammation: crush the leaves until you obtain a paste. Apply to the affected area for 30 minutes; repeat the treatment for seven days.
Alkaloids, saponins, steroids, triterpenes.
Erect herb, 1 m tall, angled stem, glabrous. Pinnately compound leaf, 3-5 serrated leaflets, acute at the apex, obtuse at the base, 5 cm long, 1.5 cm wide. Inflorescence with few terminal heads, each head up to 1.5 cm long. Yellow flowers, ligulate flowers absent. Fruit linear achene, the pappus reduced to three pointed bristles.
Whole plant
Stimulant for childbirth and descents: the whole plant in decoction. The liquid obtained is allowed to cool. It is taken as room temperature water.
Urinary infections: a decoction of the whole plant is prepared.
Take one cup three times a day.
To lose weight: boil a bunch of the plant in a liter of water, take small amounts daily for a period of 20 days; stop the treatment for a week and continue for another 20 days, continue with these intervals until you get results.
Leaves
Abscesses, Mycosis: the crushed plant is placed on the skin of the affected area.
Conjunctivitis: obtain the juice from the leaves, add salt. Apply a drop to the eyes.
Whole plant without root
Hepatitis: decoction of the whole plant. Take a cup three times a day.
Diuretic: infusion of the leaves. Take as room temperature water.
Anti-inflammatory: same as above.
Salicylic acid, tannins, limonene, candinene, thymol, a-pholandrene and potassium, calcium and phosphorus salts, and apinene.
Shrub or small tree 3 to 4 m high, trunk with few scattered thorns. Bipinnate leaf; in the central nerve of each leaf appear 3 – 9 lateral nerves from which 6-12 pairs of ovate-linear leaflets depart, subsessile, oblique at the base, rounded and mucronate at the apex. Terminal, paniculate inflorescence. Flowers with peduncle 10 cm long, obovate, orange sepals; nailed, yellow-orange petals. Oblong linear fruit, pointed at the base.
Bark
Fevers: the infusion of the bark and flowers is taken as room temperature water.
Leaves
Hepatitis: an infusion is made with the leaves and flowers and a poultice is prepared which is placed at the height of the liver.
The bark has abortive properties. Avoid its use in pregnant women.
Tree up to 30 m high. Leaves alternate, glabrous, grouped at the apex of the twigs, oblanceolate to oblong lanceolate, apex rounded with a cuneate base. Inflorescences in cauline clusters, 7-18 cm long. Flowers 2-3 cm in diameter, calyx with 6 triangular sepals, corolla with 6 oblong petals, yellowish white. Zygomorphic androecium with flat, yellow staminal hood. Fruit is a woody, globose, indehiscent berry with an unpleasant-smelling mesocarp, yellowish when fresh, oxidizing to bluish green when exposed to the environment. Seeds numerous, embedded in the pulp.
Fruits
Contraceptive: the decoction of a green fruit in 2 liters of water is used in vaginal washes, after menstruation for 5 days. 2 drops of the juice extracted from the ripe fruit are taken in the mornings for 7 days, after the menstruation period.
Leaf buds
Dental analgesic: The crushed buds are applied locally to the painful part.
The fruits contain free steroids, benzoic hydroxide, quinones and anthroquinones.
The leaves are used as an ingredient in the hallucinogenic brew ayahuasca; the quantity of leaves varies according to the formulations of each “ayahuasquero”. The fruits are used to prevent and cure “fowl distemper” (avian cholera). The fruits are placed behind the doors of houses, against spells and to scare away evil spirits.
Tree up to 30 m high. Leaves 2 leaflets, leaflets, obliquely ovate-oblong, 5-10 x 2-4 cm, pointed apex, inequilateral base, glabrous on both surfaces. Inflorescences in short corymbs. Flowers with a campanulate calyx, constricted at the base, puberulent ovate-oblong lobes; petals obovate, white to creamy. Fruit legume oblong terete or compressed, lenticelate, dark brown.
Bark
Anthelmintic, antidiarrheal and antirheumatic: take a glass of the decoction of 5 g of fresh bark in a liter of water, every 8 hours.
Diterpenes (copalic acid) and sesquiterpenes.
The aril of the fruit is edible. The trunk secretes a resin called “copal” locally, which is used as incense; it can also be used in the manufacture of varnishes. The wood is used in the manufacture of canoes, musical instruments and furniture.
Tree up to 20 m tall. Leaves alternate, lanceolate to elliptic, 11-37 x 3-11 cm, acute to acuminate apex, attenuate base, petioles 1.5-4.5 cm long. Inflorescences in panicles, terminal, sometimes pseudoaxillary, up to 20 cm long, with an articulated appearance, with each division protected by a white bract. Flowers with a small and reduced calyx, white corolla 2 cm long. Fruits 2 leathery, glabrous, ellipsoid follicles, 32 x 4 cm. Seeds numerous, winged.
Bark
Gastric ulcers, gastritis: after meals, drink a glass of the infusion of 5 g of bark in a litre of water for fifteen days.
Antimalarial, antirheumatic: a glass of the decoction of 10 g of the bark is taken every 8 hours.
Latex
Inflammations of the uterus: dilute 10 ml in a glass of boiled, cold water and take on an empty stomach until healing.
Lower back pain: the latex is applied in poultices directly to the affected area.
Leaves
Herpes: The crushed leaves are applied to the affected area.
Annual herb, several decimetres to one metre high. Angular, glabrous stem. Leaves ovate to linear-lanceolate, cuneate at the base, sometimes sharply sinuate-toothed. Small, cream-coloured flowers, without spots but with a dark centre; subangulate calyx, 2-3 cm long, the commonly short, recurved peduncle. Fruit: spherical, smooth, yellow-orange berry. Reddish seeds.
Root
Diabetes: macerate three roots, in small pieces, in a bottle of brandy (a quarter of a litre) for seven days. Add half a bottle of honey. Take half a glass, twice a day for 60 days.
Hepatitis: take the infusion of the roots as room water.
Leaves
Diuretic: infusion of the leaves; Take a cup 3 times a day.
Inflammations and disinfectant: the affected area is rubbed with the decoction of leaves and fruits. The fresh and crushed leaves are also applied directly.
Asthma: infusion of the aerial part of the plant; take a cup three times a day, hot or as room temperature water.
Malaria: prepare a decoction of the aerial parts of the plant in 5 liters of water. Take as room temperature water.
Fruit
Scabies: the green fruit is crushed; the resulting mixture is applied directly to the wound for seven days.
Physalin, hygrin, tropein, vitamins A and C
Herb up to 45 cm tall. Erect stem, with almost horizontal branches. Alternate leaves, subsessile, grey on the underside, oblong, 7-12 x 2.5-6 m, acute to obtuse at the apex, more or less rounded, almost asymmetrical at the base: pennate veins clearly visible. Flowers on the branches: female flowers from the base, male flowers towards the apex or distally.
Root
Hepatitis: 15-20 roots, well cleaned, are cooked in two litres of water for 30 minutes. It can be taken with more sweet tea, until the yellow colour of the skin (jaundice) disappears. The whole plant Urinary infections: the infusion is taken as room temperature water.
Diuretic: infusion of a tablespoon of chopped plant in half a litre of water; drink a cup six times a day.
Alkaloids, linolenic acid, phenolic compounds, lignins, flavonoids.
It is not advisable to give this drink to children under five years of age.
Large tree with whorled branches, angled leaf branches. Entire leaves, leathery; oblong-lanceolate or elliptic, acuminate, emarginate; glossy on the upper surface; 10-20 cm long. Axillary inflorescence. Tiny flowers, colorful calyx, obovate, whitish petals. Fruit obovoid capsule. Oblong seeds with white aril.
Root
Rheumatism: in alcoholic maceration: put 250 g of dry roots, especially those that come out of the ground, crumbled, after removing the superficial part. Place in a bottle with brandy. Take every morning on an empty stomach. This preparation can also be mixed with honey, in equal parts. Take a small glass in the mornings and at night for a month.
Bark
Rheumatism: the bark is boiled. Take a small glass on an empty stomach.
Colds and bronchitis: scrape 200 g of bark and boil it in two liters of water for an hour. Strain the resulting liquid and put it in a bottle, adding a quarter of a liter of brandy. Leave it to macerate for 10 days. Take a spoonful in the mornings for 15 days.
Antidiarrheal: boil the bark with a little water; take a spoonful every three hours.
Hemorrhoids: sitz baths are made with the bark boiled.
Breast conditions: a cup of the bark, grated or in pieces, is cooked in three cups of water. The liquid is applied to cracked nipples.
Simple phenols, quinones, saponins and triterpenes
Tree over 30 m tall; glabrous twigs. Leaves pinnate; petiole, puberulent-reddish; 4-5 (6) pairs of leaflets, pellucid-pointed, densely and finely reticulate and glossy on both sides, obliquely oblong-elliptic, rounded or acute at the base, obtusely acuminate at the apex, almost 3-5 cm long. 1-2 cm wide. Inflorescences in narrow panicles often 10 to 20 cm long.
Oil
Wounds and inflammations: a few drops of oil are placed on the affected area.
Scabies: the oil from the fruit, natural or in decoction, is applied to the affected area.
Throat conditions: apply dabs twice a day with a mixture of one tablespoon of honey and three drops of copaiba oil.
Ulcers: to treat stomach ulcers, take five drops of oil, diluted in one tablespoon of warm water, on an empty stomach, for seven days.
Herpes: apply a mixture, in equal parts, of copaiba oil with andiroba oil, to the affected area, leaving for 30 minutes. Apply twice a day.
Copaiferous acid, e-cubene, B-caryophyllene, e-humulene, d-candiene.
A thin, erect tree, 4 m tall. Green, glabrous stems, swollen nodes. Leaves with short petioles; ovate blade, 15 x 9 cm, obliquely attenuated at the base, long attenuated at the apex; scabrous surface, major secondary vein raised from the lower half of the mid-vein. Erect inflorescence, 4 mm thick, 12 cm long, curved, white.
Leaves
Urinary infections: the leaves are cooked together with the broom flowers, and left overnight; the next day it is taken as a dry drink.
Cold: prepare an infusion with a portion of leaves and take four times a day.
Antidiarrheal: boil a portion of leaves and take three times a day for three days.
Ulcers: the dried leaves are crushed; the powder is applied directly to the skin.
Bronchitis: the decoction of 15 leaves in a litre of water is left to stand for 10 minutes. It is taken as room temperature water.
Wounds and vaginal antiseptic: the infusion of the leaves is used in vaginal washes.
Herpes: the juice of the leaves is used in direct application on mouth wounds.
Strong acids, anthocyanidins, anthocyanins, quaternary bases, flavones, phenols, piperazines, resins, saponins, pyrogallic tannins, triterpenes.
Semi-epiphytic plant. Robust rhizome, linear-lanceolate, denticulate-ciliate scales, with a piliform apex, rusty. Frond deeply pinnartifid; petiole equal to or shorter than the blade, stramineous to brown, shiny; articulated to the rhizome; blade with primary areoles formed by the main veins and secondary areoles formed by decurrent veins. More or less round sori, located at the point of union of two secondary veins, without indusium; 4-8 sori between the margin and the median nerve of the lobes.
Rhizomes Cough: a decoction of 250 g of the rhizome is made. The strained liquid is given to children at the rate of two teaspoons daily. The treatment is complemented with chest rubs.
Fever, whooping cough: the infusion of the crushed rhizomes is taken as tea.
Urinary infections: same as above.
Mumps and abscesses: the rhizomes are crushed or scraped and applied to the affected area.
Small tree, up to 8 m tall, reddish-sericate twigs. Oblong-elliptic to narrowly obovate leaves, 18 x 7 cm, glabrous except for the major veins. Solitary, green flowers, on reddish-sericate pedicels. Fleshy, ovoid and oblong-ovoid syncarpous fruit, 15-20 cm long; green, spiny epicarp.
Leaves
Intestinal parasitosis: the juice obtained from seven fresh, crushed leaves. Take a teaspoon on an empty stomach or before meals.
Bark
Colic: prepare an infusion or decoction with the bark, root and leaves, all three together or separately; drink a cup of the hot preparation.
Proteins, lipids, carbohydrates, calcium, phosphorus, iron, retinol, vitamin A, B, B2′ B5′, ascorbic acid.
Tree up to 12 m tall, glabrescent, lenticelate stem. Leaves opposite, entire, obovate to elliptic 18-30 x 6-13 cm, acute apex, cuneate to acute base. Cymose inflorescences 4-13 cm long. Flowers with a yellow corolla, tube up to 1 cm long, ligulate lobes. Fruits, berries 4-9 cm in diameter, subglobose, glabrous, minutely lenticelate. The pulp of the green fruit oxidizes to blue-black when exposed to the environment.
Bark
Hemorrhages, pellagra: take a cup of the decoction of 50 g of bark in a liter of water 3 times a day.
Ripe fruits
Anemia, bronchial conditions, digestive: the fruit is squeezed to obtain the juice, which is drunk at any time of the day. A syrup is also prepared by boiling the fruit in sugar water until it becomes a syrupy consistency. A spoonful is taken four times a day, until health is restored.
Vaginal inflammation, uterine cancer: the fruit is decoction is applied in the form of vaginal douches.
Fruits
Abortive: the decoction of the green fruits and green leaves is taken.
Healing, antifungal: the affected area is washed with the decoction of the fruits.
Root
Purgative: 10 gr of the grated root is cooked in 1 liter of water; the liquid is taken on an empty stomach.
Seeds
Against dandruff and baldness: the crushed seeds are cooked; the resulting liquid is rubbed on the scalp daily for 2 months.
Mannitol, genipin, caterima, hydatoin, mannitol, caffeine. The composition of 100 g of fresh fruit is as follows: proteins 1.2 g, carbohydrates 14 g, fiber 1.6 g, ash 0.8, calcium 69 mg, phosphorus 21 mg, iron 0.5 mg, thiamine 0.30 mg, riboflavin 0.33 mg, niacin 0.54 mg, ascorbic acid 1.1 mg.
Herbaceous plant. Single leaf, thin petiole up to 2 m long, colored, resembling the skin of a snake; multi-parted blade, lateral divisions oblong or obovate-oblong, 1-1.5 dm long, 4-6 dm wide, the terminals deeply bilobed. Inflorescence in spadix, 4 cm long, 12 mm thick; spathe narrowly lanceolate, almost 25 cm long; floral peduncle almost 1 cm long.
Corms
Snakebite: the mashed potato or bulb is wrapped in a bijao or banana leaf (“patarashca”); apply on the bite area. Grated, it is applied directly on the wound; and it is taken diluted in a cup of cold boiled water.
Hernia: a decoction of the corms (potato or bulb) and petioles, until obtaining a very thick liquid. Apply directly on the affected part.
Alkaloids, steroids, phenols, flavonoids, heterocids, saponins, triterpenes, xanthones.
A rosette herb from a thick rhizome. Numerous, broadly ovate leaves, the blade 15 x 12 cm rounded at the base, obtuse at the apex, glabrous, coarsely and irregularly toothed at the margin. Inflorescence in scape, peduncle up to 15 cm long.
Leaves
Throat ailments: gargle several times with the decoction of the leaves and a little salt.
Abscesses: the decoction also serves to wash abscesses (inflammations).
Whooping cough: the juice obtained from the fresh leaves is mixed with honey; take four tablespoons of this preparation every four hours.
Dry cough: drink the juice from the fresh leaves with a few drops of lemon juice.
Heterosides, aucubin, mucilages, tannins, pectin, salicylic acid, flavonoids, resin, citric and oxalic acid.
A cane-like herb or shrub, entire plant with a fine indumentum mostly of simple, stellate trichomes. The lower leaves are sub-rotund, usually 5-lobed, the upper ones 3-lobed or entire, all rounded or obtuse at the base, unequally serrated, 6-10 cm long and 4-7 cm wide. Solitary flower heads, 2-3 in the upper or terminal axils. Flowers with a calyx 6-8 mm long, the lobes ovate-obtuse; petals 1 cm long; carpels 3 mm long.
Root
Common cold: drink a cup of the root infusion before going to bed.
Leaves
Headaches, fevers, colic, anti-inflammatories: the leaves are crushed to obtain a phlegmy juice; It is diluted in a glass of water with a few drops of lemon added. It is given to the patient to drink four times a day.
Burns: the leaves are crushed and applied to the affected area in the form of compresses or roasted leaves.
Skin infections: same as above.
Cough: infusion of the leaves.
Flower
Inflamed and irritated eyes: 30 g of flowers and leaves are cooked in a litre of water; the liquid is used for external washes.
Constipation: the crushed flowers and leaves are left to “settle”, diluted in water; take as room temperature water.
Large tree, glabrous everywhere. The bark exudes a white latex, milky when cut. Leaves long-petiolate, the blade elliptic-oblong or elliptic, 13-23 cm long, 5.5-10 cm wide, subacute to rounded at the base, the lateral veins close together, prominent below, thin, 15-25 or more on each side. Receptacle pedunculated or almost sessile, globose, commonly 2-2.5 cm in diameter.
Latex
Toothache: local application of fresh latex, with cotton.
Intestinal parasitosis: a medium cup of latex dissolved in orange juice or sugar water; take every three days.
Leishmaniasis or uta: the latex is applied directly to the wound for three days or more, until healing of the wound is observed.
Phylloxanthin, B-amyrin, lupeol, lavandulol, phyllantel, 18-eloxanthine, ficin, phyllantelol, 18-doxanthin.
Herbaceous, erect plant, 50-60 cm high. Alternate, ovoid and lanceolate leaves, with serrated or deeply sinuous edges, 5-8 cm long and 1-3 cm wide, short, light green petiole. Tiny flowers, grouped in small clusters; calyx with 5 sepals, apetalous, yellowish green, generally hermaphrodite. Ripe fruit, wrapped in the remains of the calyx. Lenticular seed.
Stems
Colic: infusion of the leaves and tender stems; a glass three or four times a day in the case of adults and three or four tablespoons, in the case of children.
Urinary infections: drink a hot cup of the «paico» decoction with «pampa oregano» three to four times a day.
Leaves
Wounds: the affected area is washed with the decoction of the leaves; the crushed leaves are applied as a poultice.
Antidiarrheal: infusion of the leaves and flowers: 20 g in a litre of water. Take three to four cups a day.
Intestinal parasitosis: infusion of the leaves and tender stems. Take a glass three to four times a day. Be extremely careful when preparing the infusion: an infusion that is too concentrated can have toxic effects.
Digestive: take a cup of the prepared infusion (20 g of leaves in a litre of water) after meals.
Hemorrhoids: in sitz baths with the infusion of the leaves.
Essential oil, ascaridole, tannins, terpenes, cimenol, carvenol, Pcimol, limonene, camphor, santonin, methyl salicylate, chenopodin, glycol, histemin, butyric acid, peptins and mineral salts.
Tree 10-15 m tall. Leaves broadly elliptical, alternate, ovate to obovate-oblong, acute to obtuse at the apex, wedge-shaped to obtuse at the base. Inflorescence composed of small, highly flowered axillary panicles. Small, greenish-yellow flowers; petals 6 mm long. Globose, pear-shaped fruit measuring 20 x 10 cm. Large seed.
Bark
Urinary infections: drink a cup every eight hours of a decoction of 10-15 grams in a litre of water.
Toothaches: rinse your mouth with the infusion of the bark.
Leaves
Rheumatism, catarrh, hoarseness and asthma: an infusion of 100 g of leaves in a litre of water.
Tonic, anemia: the infusion of 40 g of fresh leaves or 10 g of dried leaves has a reputation as a tonic.
Fruit
Burns: apply the oil from the fruit pulp.
Depressions: (White discharge). The dried seeds are ground into powder. A decoction is prepared from the leaves of plantain, mixed with a teaspoon of this powder. Take once a day.
Dysentery, antidiarrheal: the seed in infusion or decoction, combined with burnt bread and sugar, is used to combat amoebic diarrhea.
Snake bite: wash the wound with the decoction of the seed. Contraceptives: dry the seed and grind it; the powder obtained is mixed with food.
Carbohydrates, proteins, fats, tannins, perseitol, methyl-chavicol,
methylenegenol, dopamine, spargine, malic and acetic acids.
Subshrub up to 50 cm high. Opposite leaves; elliptic to rounded-ovate, acute or obtuse, crenate, more or less rough, canescent tomentose-hairy on the underside, serrated on the margin, slightly scabrous on the surface. Flowers with a somewhat purple or white corolla. Fruit, a dark violet drupe.
Root
Antidiarrheal: drink the juice extracted from the crushed root.
Leaves
Heart pain: drink a cold cup of the infusion of the leaves, with sugar before meals.
Soothing and soporific: drink the decoction of the leaves. Urinary infections: in infusion or tincture.
To prepare the tincture, soak 100 g of chopped fresh leaves in half a litre of 80% alcohol for 14 days in a cool, dry and dark place; strain and store in another container.
Take, diluted in a glass of water, three times a day; one tablespoon for adults and one teaspoon for children.
Colic: infusion of the leaves, three times a day; one cup for adults and half a cup for children.
Essential oils, lipiol, tannic acid, citral, L-limonene and geraniol,
alkaloids.
A thin climbing plant. Palmate leaves 5 to 7-10-fold, 3-8 cm long and wide, with a glabrous surface; simple tendrils. Flowers solitary, axillary; calyx campanulate, small lobes; yellow corolla, 3 cm in diameter. Fruit fusiform, ovoid, orange; surface with obtuse to sharp protuberances. Seeds covered with a shiny red pulp.
Leaves
Diabetes: the decoction of the leaves is taken as room water for 60 days.
Fruit
Antidiarrheal: take the juice extracted from the crushed fruit in the morning; three tablespoons for adults and one tablespoon for children.
Colic: take one cup of the decoction of the fruit.
Suppurative wounds: the crushed seeds, mixed with lard, are applied to the affected area.
Saponic glycoside, mormodin and mormodic acid. Quaternary bases, phenols, saponins, triterpenes, vitamins A, B, B2, B5 and C, calcium, phosphorus and iron.
Fast growing plant. Erect stem, column, up to 20 cm in diameter. Simple leaves, deeply lobed, one metre long. Oblong-obovoid fruit, 15 cm long, longitudinally lobed, yellow when ripe; numerous black and rough seeds. Male flowers pedunculated, green; female flowers sessile, eight cm long, perfect intermediate flowers.
Root
Leaves Urinary infections: take the decoction of the root and young leaves as a warm water.
Leaves
Wounds: crushed fresh leaves are applied to the lesion.
Mastitis: crushed leaves help heal cracked nipples.
Fruits Intestinal parasitosis: Frequent consumption of papaya fruits,
with three to four seeds at a time, helps prevent parasites (worms)
from settling in the intestine.
Constipation: the latex of the green fruit, diluted with water, is a strong
purgative.
Papain, carica-xanthin, papaiotin, capain, malic acid, proteins,
fats, calcium salts, phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, B1, B2, and C,
tannins and pancreatin.
Observations
Massaging the green fruits on the breasts helps the production
of milk. Steam baths with a decoction of the fruits and drinking
this when cold have the same effect.
Biennial plant, acaulescent, branched, glabrous. Basal leaves, lanceolate or oblanceolate, 3-27 cm long, 1-5 cm wide, cuneate at the base, obtuse at the apex, spinulose-serrate margins, the veins pinnately reticular, short petioles.
Inflorescence trifurcate, numerous heads, small, short pedunculated, numerous flowers. Globose fruit.
Leaves
Headaches: the fresh leaves are placed on the forehead held in place with a cloth.
Dry cough: extract the juice from the crushed fresh leaves, add three drops of lemon and a teaspoon of oil. Drink this preparation.
Skin abscesses: crushed leaves mixed with cooking oil are placed on the abscess until it is absorbed or opens.
Hepatitis: it is recommended to consume it with meals.
Stimulates childbirth: the infusion of the leaves (tea) helps the dilation of the uterus during childbirth.
Antidiarrheal: drink an infusion of the leaves.
Fruits
Relaxing: the green fruits, ground and mixed with food, help a peaceful sleep.
Tree 10 to 20 m high. Trunk 15 to 25 cm in diameter, greyish-white bark; when cut, a reddish resin flows. Leaves 12-20 cm long by 5-14 cm wide; the most recent ones reddish-tomentose on both sides. Inflorescence in loose clusters more than 30 cm long. Fruit: globose, depressed capsule, about 3 mm long by 4.5 mm wide.
Resin
Throat ulcers: gargle with four drops of resin diluted in half a glass of warm water. Repeat the operation at night for seven days.
Tonsillitis: same procedure as above.
Hemorrhages: apply the resin directly to the wound.
Vaginal antiseptic: use 40 drops of resin diluted with warm water for vaginal douching. Preferably at night.
Taspine and tannins.
Small tree, 2-4 m tall. Leaves opposite, pinnately compound; lower leaflets usually trifoliolate, lateral leaflets reduced; ovate-lanceolate leaflets 4.5-9 cm long, 1-4 cm wide, pronouncedly serrated. White flowers. Edible fruits.
Stems
Alcohol detoxifier: drink a cup a day of the decoction of the flowering branches.
Leaves
Purgative: use the decoction of the leaves.
Diuretic: consume the fresh leaves in salads.
Flu, cough and bronchial conditions: extract the juice from the crushed leaves, add 20 drops of lemon, a spoonful of sugar and 5 drops of edible oil. Drink the preparation.
Flowers
Headaches: take a hot infusion of the flowers.
Measles and fever: take a light decoction of the inflorescence.
Constipation: take the decoction of the flowers and leaves, in plenty of water, once only.
Alkaloids, sugars, oils, essences, anthocyanin and flavonoid compounds, mucilages, potassium nitrate, vitamin C.
Parasitic plant, erect or scandent, greyish bark. Petioles 5-10 mm long. Leathery, ovate or ovate-lanceolate leaves, somewhat pointed, 3-10 cm long by 3-7 cm wide. Inflorescence in spikes or simple axillary panicles. Commonly white flowers 4-6 mm long, membranous calyx. Oblong, red fruit.
Leaves Stomach ulcers: crush the leaves and squeeze them to extract the juice. Take a quarter of a glass in the morning for 15 days.
Fractures: grind the leaves until you obtain a paste and mix it with the white of an egg. Apply to the affected part, held in place with a cloth.
Fresh leaves soaked in water are also used.
Skin infections: drink the aqueous maceration of the leaves three times a day. Wash the affected area with this liquid.
Tree up to 30 m tall. Twigs terete, glabrescent or inconspicuously pubescent at the apex. Leaves digitally 5-7 leafy, leaflets elliptic or narrowly elliptic-ovate, 6-12 x 3-5 cm, acuminate apex, rounded base, edges conspicuously serrated. Inflorescence in corymbose panicles, usually multiflorous, rachis tomen tose. Flowers with a campanulate calyx slightly lobed pubescent, yellow corolla infundibiliform, 8-12 cm long and 2-3.5 cm wide at the mouth. Fruits, linear sub-woody capsules, smooth or with some warty protuberances, thick valves.
Flowers Anti-flu and antitussive: the decoction of the flowers is mixed with wild bee honey to obtain a syrup. Take a teaspoon 3 times a day.
Bark
Leishmaniasis: boil 200 g of bark in a litre of water. With this preparation, wash the affected area and apply poultices until the ulcers heal.
Diabetes, hepatitis: The decoction of 10 g of inner bark in a litre of water is drunk daily for 1 month.
Leaves
Flatulence: the decoction of 7 leaves in a litre of water is drunk hot.
Alkaloids; quinones, lapachol; catechins, steroids, phenols, flavonoids, cyanogenic heterosides, resins, saponins, triperpenes and xanthones.
Small tree. Leaves ovate, acute at the apex, asymmetrical at the base. Flowers hanging; calyx tubular, lobed at the apex, 9-12 cm long; corolla white to yellow-orange, tubular, extended at the apex, 25-30 cm long.
Leaves
Pyoderma: washes are made with the decoction of the leaves.
Root
Vomiting: take the decoction of the root. One cup a day.
Diuretic: same as above.
Compounds present
Scopolamine, norscopolamine, atropine, noratropine.
Succulent, erect shrub; flattened stem forming ovoid segments; the surface with rows of scattered areoles with small irritating hairs. Large, yellow flowers, 7-10 cm in diameter, growing marginally on the segments. Obovoid-cylindrical, edible fruit.
Leaves
Dry cough: a portion of the roasted stem is given to the patient with a cough.
Abscesses: a portion of the stem is roasted, opened and the inner part is placed on the abscess. Repeat the operation until improvement is observed
The prickly pear can reduce blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes. Nopales apparently act at the level of the bad LDL cholesterol receptors in the liver, helping to reduce blood cholesterol. In addition to this, it is rich in polyunsaturated fats such as linoleic, oleic and palmitic acid that help lower LDL cholesterol, increase good HDL and prevent the emergence of cardiovascular diseases
The prickly pear is an excellent source of fiber, vitamins and minerals essential for health. It contains high levels of vitamin C, vitamin A, calcium, potassium and magnesium, making it a very nutritious food to strengthen the immune system, improve digestion and maintain bone health.
Deciduous tree, up to 30 m tall, trunk 40 to 70 cm in diameter, bark with transparent resin. Compound leaves, leaflets in pairs of 3-8, opposite or sub-opposite, entire or toothed, with long, narrow tips. Small flowers, in large terminal panicles. Yellow, edible fruits.
Bark
Wounds: the resin extracted from the bark is applied directly to the wound. If the bark is already dry, it is ground to obtain a fine powder that is placed on the washed wound. It is healing.
Vaginal antiseptic: boil the bark for two hours together with cedar, cashew and guava bark. Make vaginal washes with the resulting liquid.
Snake bite: the cooked bark is placed on the wound, holding it in place with a bandage. If the bite has caused sores in the area, the grated bark can be used directly on the injury.
Tannins, proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, fibers, ash, calcium,
phosphorus, iron, vitamins A, B, B2, B5 and C.
Climbing shrub up to 30 m long, stem provided with recurved thorns. Young twigs tetragonal. Leathery leaves, elliptic – obovate, abruptly short-acuminate, truncated at the base, up to 18 x 12 cm, glabrous except for some trichomes along the veins on the underside. Inflorescence in capituliform racemes, pedicellate tomentulous flowers, white corolla. Fruits: dehiscent capsules.
Bark
Snake bite: the cooked bark is placed on the bite or the damaged area, held in place with a bandage.
Rheumatism: macerate 100 g of the bark in a litre of brandy. Take a small glass daily in the morning.
Biliary colic: a quarter of a bottle of brandy is added to the liquid obtained from the decoction of the bark and left to macerate for eight days. Take a small glass three times a day.
Prostate inflammation: boil five grams of the bark in a litre of water for 30 minutes. Take a small glass three times a day before meals. The treatment should last for 30 days.
Wounds, ulcers and pyoderma: a concentrated decoction of the bark is used in topical treatment (washes).
Leaves
Fever and cough: the decoction of the leaves, with serenade, is taken three times a day.
Prostate inflammation: the crushed leaves are applied to the outside, at the level of the prostate. Repeat the operation for 20 days.
Alkaloids (angustine), flavonoids (Epicatechin), tannins (Catechins), (Rhynchophylline), flavonoids (Kaemferol), tannins, flavonoids (Kaemferol), glycosides of quinovic acid.
Lanceolate-oblong leaves, attenuate to subsessile at the base. Inflorescence in spikes more or less cymose or subpaniculate. Bracts ovate-lanceolate, almost as long as the calyx; this is 2 to 2.5 mm long, subtruncate with tiny teeth.
Whole plant
Bronchitis: add a beaten egg to the juice obtained by crushing 250 g of the plant. Take in the morning.
Ulcers: crush 250 g of verbena, squeeze the juice. Take half a glass in the morning for 15 days. It relieves stomach ulcers.
Leaves
Stomach infection: make a bath with the warm decoction of the leaves, from mid-waist, for half an hour. Repeat the treatment for 15 days.
Diabetes: take half a glass, once a day, of the juice obtained by squeezing leaves and stems in water. The treatment should be followed for three consecutive months.
Starquitafine, citrol, geraniol, verbenalin, dextrin, salicylic acid, mucilage, saponin, arbutin, vitamins A, B and C, tannins, heteroside (verbenaloside).
Herbaceous plant with red bulbs. Verticillate, linear lanceolate leaves with longitudinal veins. Panicle inflorescence. Pink flowers.
Bulbs
Hemorrhages: in a decoction of the bulbs, rhizomes of Mashushiño (Magfadenya uncata) and Papagayo piri-piri (Cyperus sp.). Take a small glass of the preparation three times a day.
Dysentery, intestinal infection and gas: crush the bulb and add boiled water. Take a cup three times a day.
Boil four or five crushed bulbs. Take three times a day.
Snake bite: take the juice of four to six crushed bulbs.
Steroidal sapogenin. Alkaloids, quinones, flavonoid pigments.
It has contraceptive properties.
