Ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological study of medicinal and aromatic plants used in the treatment of neurological disorders in the Moroccan Rif

Abstract

Background: The present study aimed to analyse and evaluate the ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological information related to the use of plants for medicinal purposes by the native people of Moroccan Rif region.Material and Methods: An ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological study was conducted in the Rif region (northern Morocco) for two campaigns (2016 and 2017), using 625 questionnaires to identify the various information concerning the therapeutic uses practiced by the population of the study area.Results: The Rif’s population that uses medicinal and aromatic plants in the treatment of neurological diseases includes 321 women and 304 men. The survey identified 31 plant species and subspecies divided into 14 families, 09 of which were Dicotyledonous and 04 of Monocotyledonous. The most important family is that of the Asteraceae and the Lamiaceae represented by 05 species, the leaves are the most used part and the majority of the remedies are prepared in the form of infusion.Conclusion: This study highlights the medicinal and aromatic plants used in the treatment of neurological diseases by the Moroccan Rif population. The results obtained constitute a very valuable database for the national medicinal flora. They could be a source of information to search for active ingredients in Rif plants.