This unique volume draws on the rich culture, folklore and environment of medicinal plants in Ecuador, which includes the important rain forest region. This country has rich plant resources and a large diversity of plants. In particular, the Biotechnological Research Center of Ecuador, CIBE, is an important center of plant research and biodiversity. For more than 16 years, CIBE has been performing scientific research on plants and microorganisms with extensive focus on biodiversity, biotechnology, bioproducts, hytopathology, molecular biology, tissue culture and technology transfer. The Center has state-of-the-art infrastructure and technology and a great strength in human resources.
About the Author:

Pablo Chong Aguirre has seventeen years of experience in biotechnology, molecular biology and plant pathology. He has a PhD degree in Biotechnology obtained at Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands. In 2001, Pablo started his research career as junior researcher in Plant pathology at the Ecuadorian Biotechnology Research Centre from ´Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral´, ESPOL University. In 2007 he obtains his master's degree in Biotechnology at ESPOL and became the molecular biology head in the ESPOL biotechnology research Centre until 2009 and the Plant pathology head until 2013. In September 2012, he started his PhD program in the Netherlands at the Plant Research International banana group, and Laboratory of Phytopathology from Wageningen University and Research Centre on the analysis of fungicide resistant in Pseudocercospora fijiensis (Banana Black Sigatoka disease). His main research focus on fungi molecular resistant mechanism to systemic fungicides. His research has led to publications related to a new resistance mechanism discovered in the specie. Since 2016 he continues his work as invited biology professor of the Life Science Faculty at ESPOL University and Research Head Coordinator of the molecular biology and plant tissue culture departments at CIBE-ESPOL.

Migdalia Miranda Martínez has 41 years of experience in Pharmacognosy and Natural Products Chemistry. She has a PhD in Chemical Sciences since 1990 from the University of Havana, Cuba. She is a Consulting Professor at the University of Havana and a full-time Professor-Researcher hired from ESPOL. She holds the highest category of Researcher granted by Senescyt (Principal Investigator 4) and was an advisor to the Prometheus Program of Senescyt for 3 years at the Center for Biotechnological Research CIBE-ESPOL. She has 29 Master thesis and 8 PhD. She has published 53 articles in indexed journals and more than 59 in other journals. It has also published 4 textbooks and 4 book chapters.

Patricia Manzano Santana has 30 years of experiences Chemical and biological characterization of Ecuadorian biodiversity and the development of bioproducts useful for health, food, agriculture, construction and industry in general. Pharmaceutical Chemistry training has a master's degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry, a PhD in Chemistry and Pharmacy and another PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences. Full-time Professor ESPOL. She is the research coordinator of the Bioproducts and Bioprocesses Laboratory of the Research Center of Ecuador (CIBE-ESPOL). She has tutored 22 Undergraduate thesis: 8 master thesis and 3 PhD thesis. She has published 55 publications, 43 in indexed journals and 22 in Scopus in the last 5 years, including the publication of 4 chapters in books and the edition of 2 books. He has made 8 research stays, 3 Post-doctoral.