Names and uses of the Culantro de Monte (Eryngium foetidum L.) in the San Antonio de Padua community, Los Ríos – Ecuador

Abstract

Culantro de monte (Eryngium foetidum L.) is a biennial herb of tropical origin very frequent in America, Africa and the Caribbean. With the arrival of Europeans in the fifteenth century, it managed to be distributed to various locations in Asia and Europe. The present study was carried out in the San Antonio de Padua community in the Province of Los Ríos - Ecuador to collect information, through interviews with the residents, regarding the nomenclature and uses of this aromatic herb. It was found that 52% of the interviewees mention a nutritional use, especially as a condiment for fish soup, buns and stews, while 26% say they use this plant for medicinal purposes in infusions to cure stomach and joint pain. The variety of metabolites that it possesses, such as eryngial (E-2-Dodecenal), extends its range of applications in modern medicine. We concluded that the transfer of ethnobotanical information still remains in the community, but the young generations are unaware of several of this plant’s applications.