Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used in the Traditional Treatment of Genito-Urinary Diseases in the Region of Fez, Morocco

Abstract

IntroductionMedicinal and aromatic plants have been used for healing for a long time, and their methods of use have been inherited by the generations. However, there was little interest in studying this heritage and highlighting it to discover new molecules. This study was conducted in the region of Fez-Morocco, to collect the maximum information on the plants used by the local population to treat genito-urinary diseases, and to enrich the national catalogue of medicinal and aromatic plants in Morocco. MethodsA total of 115 informants were interviewed. The collected data were analysed quantitatively by calculating several indices such as the relative frequency of citations and family importance value. ResultsThe results obtained allow the identification of 49 plant species belonging to 26 botanical families. The dominant family was Lamiaceae with 11 species, followed by Fabaceae with four species, then Apiaceae and Asteraceae with three species each. Similarly, the data analysis revealed that the most cited plants were Quercus ilex L., Rosmarinus officinalis L., Calamintha officinalis Moench., and Zea mays L. The most common method of preparation was the infusion. Moreover, the study found that the population uses the whole plant to treat genito-urinary diseases (plant part value = 0.415), and the most treated category was chronic renal failure (informant consensus factor = 0.86). ConclusionsThis study confirmed the importance of traditional medicine in the treatment of genito-urinary diseases and highlighted the value of ethnobotanical studies.Therefore, it is necessary to promote public comprehension in order to preserve indigenous ethnomedical knowledge in the research area.