Ethnobotanical treatment of respiratory diseases in the central Middle Atlas (Morocco): Qualitative and quantitative approach

Abstract

IntroductionRespiratory disorders are quite common in the Moroccan central Middle Atlas due to difficult climatic conditions and the difficulties in accessing health services. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to document the ancestral phytotherapeutic knowledge concerning the treatment of respiratory diseases in this region, using a qualitative and quantitative ethnobotanical approach. MethodsA questionnaire containing open and semi-structured questions was used to conduct the interviews with 58 practitioners of traditional medicine in order to collect the necessary ethnomedical information. Databases such as Web of Science, ScienceDirect, PubMed, and Scopus were used to analyze the inventoried plants, as well as their reported pharmacological activities. The data obtained were expressed by different quantitative indices: use value (UV), family use value (FUV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), level of fidelity (FL), informant consensus factor (ICF), relative importance (RI) and plant part value (PPV). ResultsA total of 35 plants distributed in 21 families were reported and categorized. The most represented family was Lamiaceae and the highest use value was for Scrophulariaceae (UVF=70.00). Of the plants listed, Marrubium vulgare L. has the highest use value (UVF=1.24). The highest relative citation frequency is recorded with Ruta montana L. (RFC=0.43). 24 species had a level of fidelity of 100% to treat various diseases. As for the highest value of informant consensus factor (ICF=1.00) was observed for the treatment of hoarseness and loss of voice. The leaves usually prepared by decoction and administered orally constituted the most used part (PPV=0.36). In addition, 24 plants among the 35 species studied (68.57%) have been the subject of scientific trials that have proven their pharmacological activities related to respiratory diseases. This is the case of Sambucus nigra L. which is effective in the treatment of influenza by direct effects through blocking viral glycoproteins, and indirect effects by increasing the expression of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF. Also, Hyssopus officinalis L. has an effect on chronic asthma by inhibiting eosinophil infiltration and reducing IgE levels in lung tissue. Finally, 69% of the plants used were declared toxic by the respondents. ConclusionThe population in the central Middle Atlas is still relying on herbal medicine for respiratory conditions. The documented plants can serve as a basis for further scientific studies. Promising species need to be studied phytochemically and pharmacologically. For its part, the toxicity of certain species requires great vigilance.