Valoración y Mercado Potencial de las Plantas Medicinales en el Ecuador

Ecuador has one of the most biodiversity in the countries with wide ethno-botanical knowledge; there are few studies and initiatives to encourage the mass production of medicinal plants and phytomedicines. The therapeutic potential of some species from the ethno-botanical point of view has already been cataloged by some authors, species used within ancestral knowledge are generally sold in market gardens, around 273 of these 178 species are native, 83 introduced and 12 endemic; the investigation carries out an analysis of 1 427 natural products that are sold in Ecuador registered in the National Agency for Health Control and Surveillance Regulation, the analysis of the components of the registered formulas result in the use of the species used in these products; They identify 65 species within which only 13 correspond to those used in local markets, 128 industries are related to the production, marketing and/or distribution of the 1 426 products, of which 46% is part of the national industry. The objective of this research work is to identify the potential market of medicinal plants related to our ancestral knowledge, through a documentary bibliographic.