Traditional Herbal Remedies from Algeria for Treating Digestive Disorders

Abstract

Due to their efficiency in many treatments, the employment of herbal remedies has retained its importance for leading a human life. Traditional knowledge is passed from one generation to the next, which is protected. This research aimed to analyze traditional herbal remedies used in treating digestive disorders by El-Oued people (Southeastern Algeria). The research was conducted from September 2021 to June 2022. One hundred individuals, including thirty plant vendors, were selected from different regions. Personal interviews and questionnaires were employed to collect the data. SPSS version 20 and Microsoft Office Excel 2007 were used to organize the data and conduct the descriptive statistics analysis. This investigation enabled the discovery of 40 species in 16 families and different genres. Lamiaceae, with 22.5 % plants, were the most used sources for the treatment, and 54 % of herbs were spontaneous species. The use of seeds at 21 %, dry parts at 92 % and infusion method at 48 % was most commonly used in herbal remedies preparations. The participants cited Trigonella tibetana, Juniperus communis, and Punica granatum as sources of digestive disorders treatment. El-Oued region has an extremely high number of herbal remedy species, which suggests that the region's traditional medicine serves as a source of knowledge about medicinal plants for treating digestive disorders and illnesses associated with them.
 Keywords: Herbal remedies, Digestive disorders, Medicinal plants, Interviews.