Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research (ISSN : 0975-7384)

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Original Articles: 2018 Vol: 10 Issue: 7

An Ethnopharmacological Evaluation of Moroccan Medicinal Plants of the Middle Atlas and Pre-Rif of the Province of Taza

Abstract

Morocco is one of the Mediterranean countries that have a long history in traditional medicine. However, the Moroccan medicinal flora remains unknown and data on regional medicinal plants are very fragmented and dispersed, likewise, few people hold now this expertise. The present study aimed to document the medicinal plants used in traditional medicine and to gather all the information about the therapeutic uses practiced by the local population in the Province of Taza, it was also aimed to highlight novel medicinal plants that have never previously been reported in nearby areas. This was an ethnopharmacological survey conducted in the Province of Taza from 2015 to 2016. The data were gathered from traditional actors including traditional healers, medicinal plant sellers and population local using a semi-structured questionnaire mentioning informant’s general data and uses of medicinal plants. This study reports 57 medicinal plants belonging to 30 botanical families, with a predominance of Lamiaceae and Asteraceae. The leaves and aerial parts are the most used. In terms of the treated disease, digestive diseases occupy first place (26.5%), followed by respiratory diseases (18.4%), and diabetes (16.3%).The survey shows that Origanum elongatum, Calamintha sylvatica, Mentha pulegium, Rosmarinus officinalis are the most popular species for therapeutic applications and are also important for beekeeping, herbalists, and merchants. The results are a very valuable source of information for the study area and to Moroccan medicinal flora. They could be a database for further research in the fields of phytochemistry, pharmacology and contribute to drug development in the future.