In the present situation in which social, environmental and cultural
transformation have led to changes in traditional lifestyle including feeding/healing
practices in many indigenous communities, as a result, the intellectual and cultural
heritage accumulated over many centuries is gradually disappearing. The main
objective of ethnobotany is to record and conserve the knowledge that different
societies have about the plants present in their own environment and, at the same time, to study the particular way in which groups interact with their environment. It is
therefore accepted that ethnobotanical research is a form of cultural rescue (Caballero,
1986 in Hamilton et al., 2003; Martin, 1995). The rescue and documentation of
traditional knowledge can contribute to the strengthening of indigenous cultures.
Ethnobotany is a subject of great practical value; its applications can result in the
demonstration of the value of cultural diversity within the context of the processes of
globalization, modernization and integration of indigenous peoples into national
societies