Ethnobotanical and Ethnopharmacological Study of Medicinal Plants Used for Respiratory Diseases in the Sefrou Region, Morocco

Abstract

The wide variety of flora in the Sefrou region indicates the great potential of traditional knowledge. Despite being a perfect place to research aromatic and medicinal plants, this area has not yet received much attention. In Morocco, respiratory disorders represent a major public health concern. Our study aims to investigate the traditional knowledge of the Sefrou population regarding the use of medicinal plants to treat respiratory ailments. The survey included 199 individuals from various age groups, gender, study level, family situation, income, and source of information. Data was gathered and analyzed to determine parameters, including fidelity level and family importance value. The floristic analysis of this study identified 38 plant species belonging to 19 families. The two dominant families were Lamiaceae (12 species) and Asteraceae (4 species). The data shows the frequency of Mentha pulegium L., Artemisia herba alba Asso, and Origanum compactum Benth with RFC values of 59.4%, 49.7%, and 35.5%, respectively. The infusion was the most common preparation method. According to our results, the leaf was the most commonly used part to treat respiratory diseases (PPV=0.397), and Tuberculosis was the most treated category with an ICF=0.97. The current survey indicates that, despite the advancement of modern medicine, the indigenous people of the Sefrou region mostly utilize medicinal plants to treat ailments. It is also necessary to carry out laboratory studies to extract and determine these plants phytochemical constituent, and identify their toxicological effects.