Abstract
Traditional medicine is the cornerstone that boosts scientific research to explore new therapeutic approaches. The study aimed to assess the traditional knowledge and use of medicinal plants to treat various ailments by Algerian traditional healers. Forty traditional healers were face-to-face interviewed in three different Algerian areas (West, Kabylia, and Sahara). The data collected were analyzed using quantitative indices such as fidelity level (FL) and informant consensus factor (FIC). A total of 167 species belonging to 70 families were recorded. Lamiaceae (13%), Asteraceae (13%), Apiaceae (7%), and Rosaceae and Fabaceae (5% each) were the most cited families. The survey revealed that leaves were the most used parts of the plants (29%). Furthermore, decoction (35%), raw (24%), and infusion (19%) were the common modes for the remedies’ preparation. Here, 15% of the total species were newly reported as medicinal plants. Besides, it was reported for the first time a total of 47 new therapeutic uses for 20 known plant species. Of 17 ailments categories, cancer was presented by 44 species, showing the highest FIC of 0.46. Marrubium vulgare L., Artemisia herba-alba Asso., Zingiber officinale Roscoe., and Juniperus phoenicea L. recorded the maximum fidelity value of 100%. Therefore, our study reveals strong ethnomedicinal knowledge shared by local populations living in the three regions studied. The medicinal species with a high FL could be promising candidates for identifying new bioactive molecules.
Introduction
Medicinal plants are still considered important and promising sources of drugs to treat various diseases. Their therapeutic uses, vernacular names, modes of preparation, and routes of administration were orally transmitted to constitute a local ancestral knowledge characterizing each population or ethnic group living in a specified area. Actually, from the identification of morphine in opium in the 19th century, drug discovery is based on ethnobotanical investigations and local ethnomedicinal knowledge (Ojah, 2020). Moreover, almost 35% of drugs and about 80% of anticancer drugs used in clinical practice are plants- or natural products-derived (Calixto, 2019).
Algeria is the largest country in the Mediterranean basin, Africa, and the Arab region with a total area of almost 2.4 million km2 and 1,600 of coastline. In addition to a diversified climate, Algeria is characterized by a rich flora consisting of 4,000 taxa, 917 genera, and 131 families. Moreover, owing to its ancient history as one of the first cradles of Homo sapiens and civilization in the world, Algeria possesses an important and rich cultural diversity. Although several studies have been undertaken to document the local knowledge regarding the use of medicinal plants to treat different diseases (Benarba, 2015; Benarba et al., 2016; Chelghoum et al., 2021; Mechaala et al., 2021), the Algerian ancestral ethnomedicinal knowledge deserves more ethnobotanical investigations. On the other hand, almost all of these ethnobotanical studies covered one region and therefore the same culture and traditions. The present study was carried out in three important regions of Algeria: North-West, Kabylia (Center), and Sahara (South) to 1) record the medicinal species used for medicinal purposes and the local therapeutic practices of traditional healers and 2) document the species newly reported as medicinal plants and new uses.
Material and Methods
Description of the Study Area
The multiregional study was carried out in three regions in Algeria: North-West, Kabylia (Center), and Sahara (South) (Figure 1). The ethnobotanical investigations in the North-West were performed in five departments: Mascara (area = 5,139 Km2), Oran (area = 2,114 Km2), Mostaganem (area = 2,269 Km2), Sid Bel Abbas (area = 9,150 Km2), and Tiaret (area = 20,673 Km2) and their surrounding villages located from the Mediterranean Sea to the Moroccan borders. Although no data is available regarding the flora of each department, that of the region of Oran showed the presence of 92 taxa; out of them, 72 remain endemic (Miara et al., 2018). The ethnobotanical study carried out in Center Algeria covered one city named Tizi Ouzou and its surrounding villages covering an area of 3,568 Km2, located 100 km east of the capital (Algiers) and 30 km south of the Mediterranean Sea. Owing to its favorable climate, this region is characterized by an important vegetal diversity, including 659 species, 95 subspecies, 2 varieties, and 1 forma from 381 genera and 88 botanical families (Meddour and Sahar, 2021). The south areas included in the present study covered three of the main cities of the Algerian large desert: Ghardaïa (area = 32,256 Km2), Bechar (area = 161,400 Km2), and El Bayad (area = 71,686 Km2), characterized by important cultural, ecological, climatic, and botanical diversity (Taïbi et al., 2020; Taïbi et al., 2021). This desert wide region is characterized by sparse vegetation, grasses appearing during a short period of the year, and rare trees. According to its adaptation mode to the drought, Saharan flora can be divided into ephemeral plants, called “achebs” with a short vegetative cycle of one to four months, and perennial plants with morphological and anatomical adaptations based on an enhanced absorbent system and reduced evaporating surface. The local flora comprises 130 species belonging to 40 families (Chehma and Djebbar, 2008).
FIGURE 1
Data Collection
The ethnobotanical investigations were carried out from December 2019 to June 2020. During this period, we visited 13 cities and 19 villages in the study areas, searching for traditional healers. The data had been gathered from 40 informants; 87.5% of them were professionals, acquiring the therapeutic knowledge by the transition from generation to generation, and 12.5% were herbalists. The traditional healers were interviewed by a face-to-face interview in their homes or workplaces to fill out a questionnaire and collect the data. The responses included the demographic characteristics of healers (Table 1) and other information related to the uses of medicinal plants, such as the vernacular name, ailments treated, parts used, preparation, and administration modes. The species were given in their local names in Arabic or Amazigh.
TABLE 1
| Gender | n | 100% |
|---|---|---|
| F | 23 | 57.5% |
| M | 17 | 42.5% |
| Areas | ||
| West | 26 | 65.0% |
| Kabylia | 6 | 15.0% |
| Sahara (desert) | 8 | 20.0% |
| Age | ||
| 34–49 | 4 | 10.0% |
| 50–65 | 11 | 27.5% |
| 66–81 | 15 | 37.5% |
| 82–98 | 10 | 25.0% |
| Education | ||
| Illiterate | 27 | 67.5% |
| Literate | 13 | 32.5% |
| Inherited | 28 | 70.0% |
| Acquired | 7 | 17.5% |
| Unknown | 5 | 12.5% |
Demographic characteristics of the traditional healers.
Botanical Identification
The medicinal species mentioned by the traditional healers were collected, coded, and dried. Voucher specimens were deposited at the Herbarium of the Laboratory of Research on Biological Systems and Geomatics (LRSBG), University of Mascara, Algeria.
The taxonomic identification was performed by Professor Bachir Benarba using the standard literature (Baba Aissa, 1999; Kunkele and Lohmeyer, 2007; Trabut, 2015).
Ailment Categories
Table 2 shows more than 100 diseases recorded from the ethnobotanical investigations. All the ailments were classified into 17 categories based on the vital system/organ affected or type of damage.
TABLE 2
| Category | Ailments/disorders | Abbreviation |
|---|---|---|
| Kidney diseases | Kidney failure, kidney problems, and urolithiasis | KD |
| Gastrointestinal system diseases | Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ulcers, heartburn, hemorrhoids, stomach ache, diarrhea, constipation, colitis, flatulence, gastrointestinal diseases, gallstones, liver diseases, and jaundice/icterus | GISD |
| Skin diseases | Limb swelling, itchy skin, tinea capitis, scalp ringworm, heel fissures, skin diseases and ulcer, urticaria, lichen, chalazion, albinism, dermatitis or eczema, boils, head ulcers, skin ulcers, leprosy, festering wounds, and burns | SD |
| Cancer | Cancer, blood cancer, gum tumors, tumors, skin pimples, uterine cysts/tumors, breast cysts, breast tumors lung tumors, liver cancer, breast cancer, legs cancer, skin cancer, early stage cancer, and stomach cancer | Can |
| Endocrine system diseases | Goiter and diabetes | ESD |
| Respiratory tract diseases | Sinusitis, bronchitis, nasal-lung inflammation, pneumonia, lung filtering/smoker, chest and lung diseases, cough, pulmonary-breathing problem, asthma, allergy, cold, and chest pain | RTD |
| Skeletomuscular system disorder | Osteoarthritis, bones pain, acute arthritis, gout, back pain, arthritis, arthrosis, fracture, osteoporosis, and moving difficulty | SMSD |
| Cardiovascular system diseases | Cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, clogged arteries, and hypercholesterolemia | CVSD |
| General health | Earache and deafness, hoarseness, sore throat, fever, mouth ulcer, halitosis, gingivitis, anxiety disorders, and hypochondria, tonsillitis, and incurable diseases | GH |
| Haircare | Baldness, alopecia areata, and hair loss | HC |
| Nervous system | Migraine, headache, dizziness, head problems, psychosis, insomnia, epilepsy, and sciatica | NS |
| Sexual-reproductive problems | Uterine problems, uterine microbe, infections, infertility, breast milk outage, and prostatitis | SRP |
| Infectious diseases | Laryngitis | ID |
| Poisoning | Scorpion sting and poisoning | P |
| Hematological system diseases | Anemia, spleen diseases, and blood purification | HSD |
| Urology system diseases | Bladder disease, urinary tract infection/inflammation, and cystolithiasis | USD |
Ailments categories.
Data Analysis
Ethnobotanical indices, fidelity level (FL) and informant consensus factor (FIC), were calculated to analyze the data obtained. Consensus indicators FL and FIC were used to quantify the relevance and importance of a species for a given ailment category and the agreement of its use among healers, respectively (Hoffman and Gallaher, 2007; Khan et al., 2014). FL and FIC were calculated using the following formulas (Morvin Yabesh et al., 2014):
Fidelity level: FL (%) = (Np/N)*100
Np is the number of use reports for a given species reported for a particular ailment category, and N is the total number of use reports cited for any given species.
Informant Consensus Factor: FIC = (Nur-Nt)/(Nur-1)
Nur is the number of use citations in each category, and Nt is the number of species reported in each category.
Results
Botanical Diversity, Parts Used, Modes of Preparation, and Administration
This study revealed 167 species of medicinal species used for therapeutic purposes, belonging to 70 families. Lamiaceae (13%), Asteraceae (13%), Apiaceae (7%), Rosaceae (5%), and Fabaceae (5%) were the most cited families, while the 66 remaining families (57%) had between 1 and 5 species in each (Figure 2). As shown in Figure 3, the plant parts most frequently used were leaves (29%), followed by aerial part (23%), seeds (12%), fruits (9%), and flowers (7%). Some used parts were lower than those, such as roots (6%), bark (5%), and whole plant, bulb, wax, and stalk (2% each). Besides, peels, flower buds, stamen, and gum were slightly used (1%).
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 3
Regarding the preparation methods (Figure 4), decoction (35%), raw (24%), infusion (19%), paste (10%), and maceration (8%) were the dominant methods for remedies preparation. Surprisingly, the current study recorded burning (2%) as an uncommon/novel mode used by traditional healers. In addition, the common administration route was the oral ingestion (56%) followed by external application as an ointment on the skin and compress (27%), steam (11%), or internally tract as nasal inhalation (3%), intraear (2%), and the mouthwash (1%) (Figure 5). Of the remedy’s prescription, 64% of medicinal plants were mixed with other ingredients, and 36% were taken without addition. Indeed, there were 32 species combined with one plant, 21 plants with two plants, 19 plants with three or four plants, and 14 plants with more than four plants. Furthermore, some herbal mixtures (43%, n = 74 species) were prepared by adding different adjuvants (Figure 6). These adjuvants include honey (25 use reports) followed by olive oil (22), fat (8), vinegar (7), plant oil, and sulfur and tar (6 times each).
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 6
New Reports and New Uses
By comparing the data from this study with other ethnobotanical researches carried out in Algeria and neighboring countries (Morocco, Tunisia, Mauritania, Nigeria, and Mali), we found that 11% of total species have not been previously reported as medicinal plants. Of them, 11 species were documented in Sahara, 5 in Kabylia, and 3 in West Algeria. These species are used as remedies to treat both common ailments and incurable diseases. The new reports are listed in Table 3 with their vernacular names, parts used, therapeutic uses, and modes of administration.
TABLE 3
| Scientific name | Local name | Ailments | Number of informants citing plants | Number of citations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inula helenium L. | مطهر | Can: 2* breast cancer and legs cancer | 1 | 2 |
| Centaurea acaulis L. | سنتوريا او القنطريون | Can: 2* breast cancer and legs cancer | 1 | 2 |
| Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall. | الهندقوق إكليل الملك | RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | 1 | 2 |
| GISD: 1* IBS | ||||
| Lupinus micranthus Guss. | الترمز المر | ESD: 1* diabetes | 1 | 1 |
| الدقيق | ||||
| Boswellia ameero Balf.f. | اللبان | RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | 1 | 1 |
| Carduus nutans L. | شوك المحني | HC: 1* alopecia areata | 1 | 1 |
| Quercus faginea Lam. | العفص | SRP: 1* uterine microbe | 1 | 1 |
| Gentiana acaulis L. | كف الذئب او الجنطيانا | Can: 1* breast cancer and legs cancer | 1 | 1 |
| Digitalis purpurea L. | القِمَعية او الدِّيجيتال | CVSD: 1* cardiovascular diseases | 1 | 1 |
| Cistanche tubulosa (Schenk) Wight | ذنون | GISD: 1* colitis | 1 | 1 |
| Hypecoum procumbens L. | جهيرة (الخشخاشية) | Can: 1* skin pimples and tumors | 1 | 1 |
| Phyllanthus niruri L. | الأَمْلَج | Can: 1* cancer | 1 | 2 |
| RTD: 1* cough | ||||
| Verbascum sinuatum L. | مصلح الأنظار أو البوصير أو تيسراو | SMSD: 1* osteoarthritis | 1 | 1 |
| Lycium shawii Roem. and Schult. | العوسج | SD: 2* skin ulcers and leprosy | 2 | 3 |
| RTD: 1* pneumonia | ||||
| Tamarix aphylla (L.) H.Karst. | طحطاح | NS: 1* headache | 1 | 1 |
| Ulmus rubra Muhl. | الدردار | ID: 1* laryngitis | 2 | 2 |
| SMSD: 1* moving difficulty | ||||
| Telephium imperati L. | تسمرغينت | GH: 1* mouth ulcer | 1 | 2 |
| HSD: 1* anemia | ||||
| Humulus lupulus L. | جنجل | HC: 1* alopecia areata and baldness | 2 | 3 |
| GISD: 2* hemorrhoids | ||||
| Cirsium creticum (Lam.) d'Urv. | شوك الرمح | GISD: 1* hemorrhoids | 1 | 1 |
New recorded medicinal plants used by traditional healers in Algeria (West-Kabylia-Sahara).
Surprisingly, 4 out of the 19 new species (Lycium shawii Roem. and Schult, Humulus lupulus L., Crataegus azarolus L., Centaurea acaulis L., and Verbascum sinuatum L.) were highly cited by the informants. V. sinuatum is used to treat gastrointestinal and respiratory tract diseases such as pneumonia, using the decoction method with oral and topical application, respectively. The plant is termed locally “Moslih el-Andar” meaning in the local dialect “tract’s fixer” relating to its effect that repairs the continuous elongated anatomical structure in the body. Similarly, the decoction of L. shawii is used to treat two ailments categories: skin diseases (skin ulcers and leprosy) and skeletomuscular system disorder (osteoarthritis). Nevertheless, these ethnomedicinal uses and their pharmacological properties have not been documented in previous studies.
Furthermore, some species were previously reported to be used for culinary purposes such as Telephium imperati L. called in local dialect as tassarghit/sarghina. The stems of the plant are usually consumed as soup’ spice for postpartum women in Algeria (Sahara and Kabylia region). As reported here, for the first time, it is newly mentioned to be used for medicinal purposes by the local healers treating mouth ulcers and anemia. Moreover, we found that decoction of Quercus faginea Lam. seeds, a popular tree in West Algeria (Alcaraz, 1989), is used to treat sexual-reproductive problems besides the fruits (raw) of Lupinus micranthus Guss., a species widely distributed in Algeria and the Mediterranean countries (Msaddak et al., 2017). On the other hand, our results showed that species such as Phyllanthus niruri L., Hypecoum procumbens L., and Gentiana acaulis L. are used to treat skin diseases and cancer via topical application. These species have not been previously reported to be used as medicinal species in the Mediterranean region.
In the present study, we found that 89% of total species have already been mentioned as medicinal plants. In fact, more than 100 species cited in this survey were reported in previous studies from different regions of Algeria. Besides, we found that, despite having similar therapeutic uses, the species had different vernacular names from a region to another. Interestingly, we report here 47 new therapeutic uses for 20 known plant species. Table 4 shows these new uses compared to those previously reported in the world.
TABLE 4
| Botanical name | Part used | New uses | Preparation methods | Previously reported uses | References |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. | Leaves | Can: 2 breast cancer and legs cancer | Raw | Biliary, liver disorders, and degenerative necrosis | Lahlah et al. (2012) |
| Jaundice and enlarged spleen | |||||
| Prunus persica (L.) Batsch. | Leaves | Can: 2* cancer | Raw | Cough, constipation, and menstruation absent | Lin et al. (2021) |
| Sd: 1* limb swelling | Infusion | Al-Fatimi. (2019) | |||
| Inula helenium L. | Capitulum | Can: 2* breast cancer and legs cancer | Raw | Hematomas, relief of bruises, joint pains, rheumatism, and gastrointestinal, otolaryngological, and respiratory diseases | Teixidor-Toneu et al. (2016) |
| Obón et al. (2012) | |||||
| Calendula arvensis M. Bieb. | Capitulum | Rtd: 1* pneumonia | Decoction | Burns, varicose veins, eczema, fungus, warts, and wounds | Lievre et al. (1992) |
| Lavagna et al. (2001) | |||||
| Artemisia campestris L. | Leaves | P: 1* scorpion sting | Raw | Digestive troubles, gastric ulcer, and menstrual pains | Baba Aissa (1991) |
| Cichorium intybus L. | Aerial part/roots | Usd: 2* cystolithiasis and bladder disease | Decoction | Urinary tract infections and urolithiasis, digestive problems, kidney diseases, diabetes, and nervous disorders | Sekkoum et al. (2011) |
| Decoction and raw | Miara et al. (2013) | ||||
| Gisd: 2* hemorrhoids and liver diseases | Raw | El-Hilaly et al. (2003) | |||
| Decoction | Daoudi et al. (2016) | ||||
| Benarba et al. (2015) | |||||
| Can: 4* breast cancer and legs cancer | Decoction | ||||
| Hsd: 1* spleen diseases | Decoction | ||||
| Carlina gummifera (L.) Less. | Capitulum/leaves/roots | Srp: 2* infertility and uterine problems | Decoction | Epilepsy, psoriasis, ulcers, and hemorrhage | Bellakhdar (1997) |
| Decoction | Ahid et al. (2012) | ||||
| Usd: 2* urinary tract infection and bladder disease | Decoction | Hammiche et al. (2013) | |||
| Decoction | |||||
| Smsd: 1* osteoarthritis | Decoction | ||||
| Echinops spinosissimus Turra. | Aerial part | Can: 1* skin pimples and tumors | Decoction | Hypotensive, diuretic, hypoglycemic, for stomachic effects, liver disorders, and postpartum care | Bouzabata (2013) |
| Clinopodium nepeta (L.) Kuntze. | Aerial part | Gisd: 1* IBS | Decoction | Colon ailments, abdominal pain, influenza, heart problems, bee, and insect stings | Mattalia et al. (2020) |
| Esd: 1* diabetes | Decoction | Çelik et al. (2021) | |||
| Cvsd: 1* cholesterol | Decoction | ||||
| Kd: 1* kidney failure | Decoction | ||||
| Usd: 1* bladder disease | Decoction | ||||
| Mentha rotundifolia (L.) Huds. | Aerial part | Gisd: 1* IBS | Decoction | Mental illnesses, colds, respiratory problems and to protect removal of “curses” and “evil spirits” | Arnold and Gulumian (1984)Pooley (2005) |
| Potentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch. | Roots | Srp: 1* breast milk outage | Maceration | Wounds, certain forms of cancer, infections, diarrhea, and diabetes mellitus | Synowiec et al. (2014) |
| Rtd: 1* chest and lung diseases | Raw | ||||
| Gisd: 2* stomach ache and ulcers | Maceration | ||||
| Decoction | |||||
| Amaranthus spinosus L. | Aerial part | Srp: 1* infertility | Decoction | Internal bleeding, diarrhea, excessive menstruation, and snake bites. Ulcerated mouths, nosebleeds, and wounds | Saravanan (2016) |
| Menorrhagia, gonorrhea, eczema and colic, fevers, and urinary troubles | |||||
| Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. | Whole plant | Can: 2* breast cancer and legs cancer | Raw | Skin diseases, psoriasis, and diabetes | Galle et al. (1994) |
| Missoun et al. (2018) | |||||
| Boswellia ameero Balf.f. | Gum | Rtd: 1* chest and lung diseases | Maceration | Antitumor activity | Shao et al. (1998) |
| Commiphora myrrha (Nees) Engl. | Wax | Can: 2* breast cancer and legs cancer | Raw | Mouth ulcers, gingivitis, sinusitis, glandular fever, brucellosis, and antiparasitic agent | Abdel-Hay et al. (2002) |
| Raw | Autoimmune diseases, rheumatic pains, amenorrhea, fever, stomach complaints, gall bladder, nephrosis syndrome, chest ailments, snake and scorpion bites, mouth ulcer, and skin infections | Abdul-Ghani et al. (2009) | |||
| Boual et al. (2020) | |||||
| El Ashry et al. (2003) | |||||
| Massoud et al. (2001) | |||||
| Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng. | Leaves | Can: 1* skin pimples and tumors | Decoction | Termites and bruchid, digestive diseases, aerophagia, flatulence and urinary decrease, analeptic, bad breath, gumboils, and urinary incontinence | Koba et al. (2007) |
| Hammiche and Maiza (2006) | |||||
| Daphne gnidium L. | Leaves | Hc: 1* hair loss | Raw | Constipation and toothache, wounds, hair lice or ticks in animals hair washing and as hair tonic | Allal et al. (2019) |
| Rtd: 1* sinusitis | Steaming | ||||
| Cistanche tubulosa (Schenk) Wight | Whole plant | Gisd: 1* colitis | Raw | For blood circulation and impotence, female infertility, lumbago, body weakness, and tonic substance | Namba (1994) |
| Kobayashi et al. (1987) | |||||
| Phyllanthus niruri L. | Leaves | Can: 1* cancer | Raw | Hepatoprotective functions | Bhattacharjee & Sil (2007) |
| Rtd: 1* cough | Decoction | ||||
| Tetraena alba (L.f.) Beier and Thulin. | Leaves/seeds | Esd: 1* diabetes | Decoction | Diabetes, intoxication (toukal), gastrointestinal disorders, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis | Benali et al. (2017) |
| Mnafghi et al. (2016) |
List of new therapeutic uses recorded in Algeria (West-Kabylia-Sahara).
Informant Consensus Factor and FL
Table 5 shows the 16 ailments categories arranged in descending order based on the FIC values. Cancer had the highest FIC value of 0.49 with 44 species used, such as C. colocynthis, Panax ginseng C.A. Mey., E. alata, Aquilaria malaccensis, Aristolochia longa L., and Taraxacum officinale. On the other hand, we found that sexual-reproductive problems (FIC = 0.46), gastrointestinal system diseases (FIC = 0.44), and skeletomuscular system disorders (FIC = 0.39) were recorded to have the second, third, and fourth highest FIC values, respectively. Respiratory tract diseases were ranked to be the fifth ailment group with an FIC value of 0.36.
TABLE 5
| Ailment category | Nur | Nt | FIC |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancer | 86 | 44 | 0.49 |
| Sexual-reproductive problems | 70 | 38 | 0.46 |
| Gastrointestinal system diseases | 100 | 56 | 0.44 |
| Skeletomuscular system disorder | 32 | 20 | 0.39 |
| Respiratory tract diseases | 51 | 33 | 0.36 |
| Skin diseases | 42 | 29 | 0.32 |
| Urology system diseases | 26 | 21 | 0.20 |
| General health | 39 | 32 | 0.18 |
| Nervous system | 36 | 30 | 0.17 |
| Kidneys diseases | 9 | 8 | 0.13 |
| Hair care | 11 | 8 | 0.30 |
| Endocrine system diseases | 12 | 11 | 0.09 |
| Hematological system diseases | 17 | 16 | 0.06 |
| Cardiovascular system diseases | 18 | 17 | 0.06 |
| Poisoning | 2 | 2 | 0.00 |
| Infectious diseases | 2 | 2 | 0.00 |
Informant consensus factor for commonly used medicinal.
According to their knowledge and experience, the local healers preferred some species to treat particular diseases. The highest FL values of the commonly used plants are listed in Table 6. Our results indicated that M. vulgare, A. herba-alba, Z. officinale, and J. phoenicia had the absolute FL value of 100% in several ailment categories (SRD, cancer, respiratory diseases, and GISD).
TABLE 6
| Ailment category | Species | FL (100 (%) |
|---|---|---|
| KD | Cichorium alatum Hochst. and Steud. | 100 |
| Artemisia herba-alba Asso. | 50 | |
| Parietaria officinalis L. | 100 | |
| GISD | Marrubium vulgare L. | 100 |
| Zingiber officinale Roscoe | 100 | |
| Juniperus Phoenicea L. | 100 | |
| Artemisia herba-alba Asso. | 100 | |
| Matricaria chamomilla L. | 80 | |
| Punica granatum L. | 67 | |
| Rhamnus alaternus L. | 67 | |
| Curcuma longa L. | 67 | |
| SD | Thymus vulgaris L. | 100 |
| Origanum majorana L. | 50 | |
| Eruca sativa L. | 50 | |
| Can | Carum carvi L. | 50 |
| Thapsia garganica L. | 33 | |
| Marrubium vulgare L. | 100 | |
| Zingiber officinale Roscoe | 100 | |
| Juniperus phoenicea L. | 100 | |
| Artemisia herba-alba Asso. | 100 | |
| Matricaria chamomilla L. | 40 | |
| Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf. | 50 | |
| ESD | Pimpinella anisum L. | 17 |
| Saccocalyx satureioides Coss. and Durieu. | 100 | |
| RTD | Marrubium vulgare L. | 100 |
| Zingiber officinale Roscoe | 100 | |
| Glycyrrhiza glabra L. | 67 | |
| Juniperus phoenicea L. | 100 | |
| Artemisia herba-alba Asso. | 100 | |
| Pinus maritima L. | 50 | |
| Calendula arvensis M.Bieb. | 50 | |
| SMSD | Echinops spinosissimus Turra. | 67 |
| Tussilago farfara L. | 100 | |
| Echinops ritro L. | 100 | |
| CVSD | Myrtus nivellei Batt. and Trab. | 51 |
| Crataegus azarolus L. | 50 | |
| GH | Nicotiana tabacum L. | 50 |
| Pistacia lentiscus L. | 53 | |
| Carthamus tinctorius L. | 50 | |
| HC | Carduus nutans L. | 100 |
| Daphne gnidium L. | 69 | |
| NS | Crocus sativus L. | 53 |
| Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl. | 67 | |
| SRP | Asarum europaeum L. | 100 |
| Hyacinthus orientalis L. | 80 | |
| Marrubium vulgare L. | 100 | |
| Zingiber officinale Roscoe | 100 | |
| Juniperus phoenicea L. | 100 | |
| Artemisia herba-alba Asso. | 100 | |
| ID | Ulmus rubra Muhl. | 50 |
| P | Artemisia campestris L. | 100 |
| HSD | Cichorium alatum Hochst. and Steud. | 100 |
| Salvia hispanica L. | 100 | |
| Vitis vinifera L. | 50 | |
| Rubia tinctorum L. | 33 | |
| USD | Urtica dioica L. | 34 |
| Nitraria retusa (Forssk.) Asch. | 50 |
FL of commonly used medicinal plants.
Discussion
Botanical Diversity, Parts Used, Modes of Preparation, and Administration
In the present study, we recorded 167 species belonging to 70 families with a dominance of Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Rosaceae, and Fabaceae. Our findings agreed with those we previously reported. Indeed, in Mascara (North-West Algeria), most of the medicinal species used by local healers belonged to these five families (Benarba, 2015). Similar findings were reported in Algeria (Miara et al., 2018; Taibi et al., 2020), Morocco (Barkaoui et al., 2017; Skalli et al., 2019), and Italy (Tuttolomondo et al., 2014). It has been suggested that plants belonging to these families are mainly used by local populations in Africa owing to their pharmacological effects offering a cheap therapeutic alternative (Sawadogo et al., 2012). Furthermore, leaves, aerial parts, and seeds were the most frequently used parts by local healers. Our results confirm the dominance of leaves as the most common used important plants’ part used in local phytotherapy as has been demonstrated in Algeria (Benarba, 2015; Benarba, 2016; Bouasla and Bouasla 2017; Miara et al., 2018; Taibi et al., 2020) and neighboring countries such as Mauritania (Yebouk et al., 2020), Morocco (Barkaoui et al., 2017; Skalli et al., 2019), or Italy (Leto et al., 2013). The dominance of leaves in most of the ethnobotanical studies could be explained by their ease collecting and abundance besides the fact that they are considered the site of photosynthesis and therefore of bioactive molecules.
Our results showed that the traditional healers used different preparation methods, including decoction, infusion, paste, or maceration. Decoction was found to be the preferred method. Similar results were found in previous ethnobotanical studies (Benarba, 2015; Merrouni and Elachouri, 2020). In fact, decoction and infusion were found to be the most used in the recent ethnobotanical studies in Algeria (Benarba et al., 2015; Benarba, 2016; Mechaala et al., 2021; Zatout et al., 2021) and neighboring countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Spain, and Italy in Africa and in Europe (Giday et al., 2009; Benitez et al., 2010; Amri and Kisangau, 2012; Menale et al., 2016; Savić et al., 2019). The dominance of decoction or infusion could be explained by the disinfection potential of heating besides its extraction enhancing effects (Benarba, 2015).
We also found that oral ingestion was the most frequently used mode of administration, followed by external application, steam, and nasal inhalation. Our findings are consistent with those we previously reported in South-West Algeria (Benarba, 2016), North-West Algeria (Benarba, 2015), and Extreme-West Algeria (Tlemcen) (Zatout et al., 2021). Likewise, oral and topical applications were found to be the most frequently used administration methods used by local healers or populations in other regions in Algeria (Hammiche and Maiza, 2006; Boudjelal et al., 2013; Sarri et al., 2014; Miara et al., 2018) and neighboring countries (Mrabti et al., 2019; Fakchich and Elachouri, 2014; Benitez et al., 2010). In this same line, oral and topical administrations are frequently used in traditional medicine. The choice of administration routes is based on the pharmacological effect of each species, the therapy target, duration, and the limitation of treatment to a precise area (Sargin et al., 2015; Benarba, 2016).
The traditional healers in the study areas reported that 64% of medicinal species were mixed with other medicinal plants, whereas 43% of herbal mixtures were prepared by adding different adjuvants with a dominance of honey, olive oil, animal fat, or vinegar. In concordance with our findings, several ethnobotanical investigations carried out in Algeria demonstrated that honey was the adjuvant most frequently added to prepare medicinal herbal mixtures (Benarba, 2016; Ouelbani et al., 2016; Zatout et al., 2021). Our findings are also in perfect consistency with those reported in other regions around the world (Yabesh et al., 2014; Amri and Kisangau, 2012; Pranskuniene et al., 2016). These ingredients could enhance the plant effect, maintain the blend texture, and facilitate the treatment administration. To the best of our knowledge, some adjuvants were not previously mentioned, such as tar and litharge.
New Reports and New Uses
In the present study, 11% of the recorded 167 species have not been previously reported as medicinal plants in Algeria and neighboring countries in the Mediterranean basin. Moreover, more than 100 species reported here were previously reported to be used for therapeutic purposes in North-West (Benarba, 2015), South-West (Benarba, 2016), and North-East Algeria (Boual et al., 2020). Although each species had mostly the same therapeutic uses, for example, A. herba-alba, Punica granatum L., and Senna alexandrina Mill. were used mainly to treat gastrointestinal disorders, their vernacular names differed from one region to another such as Aquilaria malaccensis Lam. called Oud El-Rih in the West and A-ghriss in Sahara. These findings are in agreement with those reported in Algeria (Benarba, 2015; Bouasla and Bouasla, 2017), Morocco (Chaachouay et al., 2020; Merrouni and Elachouri, 2020; Yebouk et al., 2020), and other countries such as Yamen, Turkey, India, and China (Prabhu et al., 2014; Polat, 2019).
Interestingly, our findings report 47 new therapeutic uses for 20 known plant species. In the present study, we found that local populations living in the study areas used Carlina gummifera (L.) Less. to treat infertility, uterine problems, urinary tract infection, bladder disease, and osteoarthritis, whereas the plant uses previously reported included epilepsy, psoriasis, ulcers, and hemorrhage (Ahid et al., 2012; Hammiche et al., 2013). Likewise, leaves of Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng. were found to be used in the treatment of several types of cancer in the study areas. This use is reported for the first time since the plant was previously reported to be used mainly to treat termites and bruchid (Koba et al., 2007). Prunus persica, usually used against cough, constipation, and menstruation absent (Lin et al., 2021; Al-Fatimi., 2019), was reported by local populations to treat skin diseases.
Informant Consensus Factor and FL
Regarding the informant consensus factor, the highest FIC value was recorded for cancer (FIC = 0.49) with 44 medicinal species used. This is the first study carried out in the three regions (West, Sahara, and Kabylia) of Algeria at the same time, calculating the informant consensus factor (FIC). Our results revealed that cancer seems to be one of the most prevalent diseases in the study areas since no previous investigations had found cancer as the first ailment category according to their FIC values. In fact, cancer has become a public health issue due to an increasing incidence, with 19.3 million new cases and about 10.0 million deaths worldwide in 2020 (Ferlay et al., 2021). Likewise, cancer incidence is increasing in Algeria. Actually, Algeria has the highest incidence of gastric (6%) (Behar et al., 2021) and liver cancer (Benarba and Meddah, 2014) when compared to North African countries. Moreover, breast and thyroid cancer incidence rose significantly in the last two decades (Mehemmai et al., 2020; Halfaoui et al., 2021). This pattern may be attributed to several causes, such as a westernized lifestyle, contaminated foods, pollution, and deteriorated living conditions. Furthermore, sexual-reproductive problems, gastrointestinal system diseases, skeletomuscular system disorders, and respiratory tract diseases were recorded to have higher FIC values. In a previous study carried out in North-West Algeria, we found that gastrointestinal diseases had the highest FIC value of 0.658, followed by general health (FIC = 0.645) and respiratory diseases (0.642), while the cancer category was recorded to be the 4th highest (FIC = 0.524) (Benarba et al., 2015). Moreover, a recent study carried out in the extreme North-West of Algeria reported that the reproductive and sexual disorders FIC value were the highest score (0.98), and for the cancer category, they had an FIC value of 0.77 with 6 species (Zatout et al., 2021). In disagreement with our findings, Bouasla and Bouasla (2017) indicated that cancer (FIC = 0.25) was the least known ailment to be treated in the traditional medicine of the local population in North-East Algeria.
According to our results, M. vulgare, A. herba-alba, Z. officinale, and J. phoenicia had the absolute FL value of 100% in several ailment categories (SRD, cancer, respiratory diseases, and GISD). These findings are in agreement with those previously reported in different neighboring regions (Benarba et al., 2015; Bouasla and Bouasla, 2017; Chaachouay et al., 2020). Besides these species, Parietaria officinalis L. was found to possess an FL of 100% for kidney diseases which is consistent with findings previously reported in North-West Algeria (Benarba, 2016) and Morocco (Ammor et al., 2020). Inconsistent with our previous findings in both North-West (Benarba et al., 2015) and South-West Algeria (Benarba, 2016), T. vulgaris was the only species having the highest FL of 100% for skin diseases. This could be attributed to its antifungal and antimicrobial potentials demonstrated against the main pathogens causing skin diseases (Tadele et al., 2009; Vinciguerra et al., 2019). Recently, a facial phytocosmetic preparation from T. vulgaris was found to possess promising antiskin aging effects, as shown by enhanced adipogenesis through upregulation of PPAR-γ expression (Caverzan et al., 2021).
Conclusion
This is the first study carried out in three regions in Algeria (North, Center, and South) revealing an important botanical diversity and ethnobotanical knowledge held by local populations. The ethnobotanical survey allowed us to document 167 medicinal plants belonging to 70 families with their indigenous therapeutic uses (Table 7). Furthermore, 47 therapeutic uses for 20 known plant species were newly recorded, besides 25 species reported for the first time as medicinal plants in this study. On the other hand, A. sativum, T. foenum-graecum, Z. officinale, R. chalepensis, A. herba-alba, P. anisum, M. chamomilla, O. basilicum, and T. vulgaris had the highest UV. Moreover, some species had the absolute FL value of 100% in several ailment categories such as M. vulgare. These species could be further investigated to explore their curative proprieties and identify the possible active compounds.
TABLE 7
| Family | Scientific name (voucher number) | Local name | Part used | Ailments | Preparation methods | Administration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amaranthaceae | Amaranthus spinosus L. (LRSBG/AB/20/067) | القُطَيفة سالف العروس | Aerial part | SRP: 1* infertility | Decoction | Oral/topical |
| Haloxylon salicornicum (Moq.) Bunge ex Boiss. (LRSBG/AB/20/068) | رمث الاحمر او تاسّايت | Leaves | Can: 1* cancer | Raw | Oral | |
| P: 1* poisoning | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Atriplex halimus L. (LRSBG/AB/20/069) | القطف او السرمق ،الملوخ | Leaves | Can: 3* uterine cysts and tumors | Decoction | Oral | |
| Breast cysts and tumors | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Cancer | Maceration | Oral | ||||
| Amaryllidaceae | Allium sativum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/072) | الثوم | Bulb | RTD: 5* asthma | Decoction | Topical |
| Chest and lung diseases | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Cough | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Nasal-lung inflammation | Maceration/decoction | Topical/oral | ||||
| Oral | ||||||
| SRP: 2* infertility | Decoction | Inhalation | ||||
| GH: 2* tonsillitis | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Earache and deafness | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| GISD: 2* jaundice/icterus | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Liver diseases | Raw | Topical | ||||
| HC: 1* alopecia areata | Frying | Topical | ||||
| SD: 1* boils | Frying | Topical | ||||
| Can: 1* skin pimples and tumors | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Allium cepa L. (LRSBG/AB/20/073) | بصل | Bulb | SRP: 3* infertility + uterine problems | Decoction | Topical | |
| Topical | ||||||
| Decoction | Topical | |||||
| SD: 2* boils and head ulcers | Frying | Topical | ||||
| Frying | Topical | |||||
| Can: 1* skin pimples and tumors | Raw | Topical | ||||
| GISD: 1* jaundice/icterus | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Anacardiaceae | Pistacia lentiscus L. (LRSBG/AB/20/123) | المَصطَكى أو المستكة او الضرو | Leaves/wax | RTD: 1* pulmonary-breathing problem | Raw | Oral |
| GISD: 4* heartburn | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| stomach ache | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Diarrhea | Decoction/raw | Oral | ||||
| GH: 2* mouth ulcer | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Earache and deafness | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Apiaceae | Ferula assa-foetida L. (LRSBG/AB/20/145) | الكَلَخ او الحِلْتِيت | Whole plant | GH: 2* tonsillitis | Infusion/raw | Topical |
| Raw/decoction | Oral/topical | |||||
| Cuminum cyminum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/001) | الكمون | Seeds | SMSD: 1* arthritis | Infusion | Topical/oral | |
| SRP: 2* infertility | Raw/decoction | Topical | ||||
| GISD: 2* stomach ache | Maceration | Oral | ||||
| Jaundice/icterus | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Ammoides pusilla (Brot.) Breistr. (LRSBG/AB/20/002) | النوخة أو النانخة | Aerial part | GH: 1* fever | Decoction | Oral/topical | |
| HSD: 1* jaundice/icterus | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Pimpinella anisum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/003) | حبة الحلاوة أو اليانسون | Fruits | ESD: 1* diabetes | Decoction | Oral | |
| CVSD: 1* cholesterol | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| KD: 1* kidney failure | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| USD: 1* bladder disease | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| RTD: 1* asthma | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| GISD: 1* stomach ache | Maceration | Oral | ||||
| NS: 1* insomnia | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| SD: 1* skin disease | Infusion | Topical | ||||
| SMSD: 2* arthritis | Infusion | Oral/topical | ||||
| SRP: 1* infertility | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Coriandrum sativum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/004) | القزبر أو الكُـزْبـَرَة | Aerial part | SD: 2* limb swelling | Infusion | Topical | |
| RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Infusion | Topical | ||||
| Foeniculum vulgare Mill. (LRSBG/AB/20/005) | البسباس | Seeds | GISD: 3* IBS | Infusion | Oral | |
| stomach ache | Maceration | Oral | ||||
| Flatulence | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| NS: 1* headache | Infusion | Oral | ||||
| Bunium mauritanicum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/006) | تالغودة او آ أكثار | Roots/seeds | ESD: 1* goiter | Raw | Oral | |
| Carum carvi L. (LRSBG/AB/20/007) | كرويا | Seeds | Can: 1* early stage cancer | Decoction | Raw | |
| GISD: 1* stomach ache | Maceration | Oral | ||||
| GH: 1* anxiety disorders and hypochondria | Raw | Topical | ||||
| SMSD: 1* bones pain | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Apium graveolens L. (LRSBG/AB/20/008) | الكرفس | Leaves | SMSD: 2* osteoarthritis | Decoction | Oral/topical | |
| Thapsia garganica L. (LRSBG/AB/20/009) | درياس أو بونافع | Aerial part | RTD: 2* chest and lung diseases | Maceration/frying | Topical/oral | |
| Can: 1* lung tumors | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss. (LRSBG/AB/20/010) | البقدونس أو المعدَنوس | Aerial part | KD: 1* urolithiasis | Decoction | Oral | |
| GH: 1* mouth ulcer | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Apocynaceae | Nerium oleander L. (LRSBG/AB/20/109) | الدفلة | Leaves | GH: 1* mouth ulcer | Decoction | Topical |
| Can: 1* skin pimples and tumors | Burned | Topical | ||||
| SD: 3* chalazion | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Tinea capitis and scalp ringworm | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Urticaria | Maceration | Topical | ||||
| Araliaceae | Panax ginseng C.A.Mey. (LRSBG/AB/20/124) | الجنسنغ أو الجنسة | Aerial part | Can: 1* stomach cancer | Maceration | Oral |
| SRP: 1* infertility | Raw | Oral | ||||
| GISD: 1* liver diseases | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| HSD: 1* spleen diseases | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Aristolochiaceae | Asarum europaeum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/096) | أسارون | Leaves | SRP: 1* uterine microbe and infections | Decoction | Oral |
| Aristolochia longa L. (LRSBG/AB/20/097) | برسطم—برزطم | Stalk | HC: 1* baldness | Raw | Topical | |
| Can: 3* breast cancer | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Legs cancer | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Cancer | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Asparagaceae | Hyacinthus orientalis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/098) | الخُزَامَى | Flowers | SRP: 4* infertility | Raw/decoction | Topical |
| Uterine problems | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| USD: 2* urinary tract infection/inflammation | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Bladder disease | Maceration | Oral | ||||
| GH: 1* fever | Decoction | Oral/topical | ||||
| Drimia maritima (L.) Stearn. (LRSBG/AB/20/099) | البَصَل البَرِّيّ أو بصل الحلوف | Bulb | SRP: 2* infertility | Decoction | Topical | |
| Uterine problems | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| HC: 1* alopecia areata | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Asteraceae | Cynara scolymus L. (LRSBG/AB/20/156) | العسلوج او ساق الخرشوف | Stalk | GISD: 1* hemorrhoids | Decoction | Oral |
| Arctium atlanticum (Pomel) H.Lindb. (LRSBG/AB/20/119) | الأرقطيون | Leaves/capitulum | SD: 1* boils | Frying | Topical | |
| Can: 1* skin pimples and tumors | Frying | Topical | ||||
| Cirsium creticum (Lam.) d'Urv. (LRSBG/AB/20/160) | GISD: 1* hemorrhoids | Decoction | Topical/oral | |||
| Carthamus tinctorius L. (LRSBG/AB/20/011) | العُصْفُر أو الجُرْجُوم | Capitulum | GH: 1* anxiety disorders and hypochondria | Raw | Oral/topical | |
| Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter | مقرمان | Aerial part | SD: 2* festering wounds | Maceration/raw | Oral/topical | |
| (LRSBG/AB/20/012) | Skin diseases | Maceration | Topical | |||
| Tussilago farfara L. (LRSBG/AB/20/013) | حشيشة السعال أو تافيفرا | Aerial part | SMSD: 2* osteoarthritis | Decoction | Oral/topical | |
| Echinops ritro L. (LRSBG/AB/20/014) | تاسكرا أو الشوك الأزرق ، و أبونقار | Aerial part | SMSD: 2* osteoarthritis | Decoction | Oral/topical | |
| Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch. (LRSBG/AB/20/015) | القسط الهندي | Roots | SRP: 1* infertility | Infusion | Topical | |
| Silybum marianum (L.) Gaertn. (LRSBG/AB/20/016) | الخرفيش | Leaves | Can: 2* breast cancer | Raw | Topical | |
| Legs cancer | ||||||
| Centaurea acaulis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/017) | سنتوريا او القنطريون | Aerial part | Can: 4* breast cancer | Raw | Topical | |
| Legs cancer | ||||||
| Can: 4* tumors and skin pimples | ||||||
| Inula helenium L. (LRSBG/AB/20/018) | المطهر | Capitulum | Can: 2* breast cancer | Raw | Topical | |
| Legs cancer | ||||||
| Calendula arvensis M.Bieb. (LRSBG/AB/20/019) | عين البقر | Capitulum | RTD: 1* pneumonia | Decoction | Oral | |
| Artemisia campestris L. (LRSBG/AB/20/020) | التگوفت | Leaves | P: 1* scorpion sting | Raw | Topical | |
| Anacyclus valentinus L. (LRSBG/AB/20/021) | القرطوفة | Aerial part | HSD: 1* anemia | Decoction | Oral | |
| Taraxacum officinale (L.) Weber ex F.H.Wigg. (LRSBG/AB/20/022) | هِنْدَبَاءُ البَرِ، اليعصيب | Aerial part | Can: 2* breast cancer | Raw | Topical | |
| Legs cancer | ||||||
| Anacyclus pyrethrum (L.) Lag. (LRSBG/AB/20/023) | تيقنطيست أوعاقر قرحا | Leaves | RTD: 1* pulmonary-breathing problem | Raw | Topical | |
| SRP: 1 infertility | Raw | Oral | ||||
| SMSD: 2* arthritis | Maceration | Topical and oral | ||||
| Cichorium alatum Hochst. and Steud. (LRSBG/AB/20/024) | تمرزوق. العلت | Aerial part/roots | USD: 2* cystolithiasis | Decoction | Oral | |
| Bladder disease | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| GISD: 2* hemorrhoids liver diseases | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Raw | Topical | |||||
| Can: 4* breast cancer | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Legs cancer | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| KD: 1* urolithiasis | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| HSD: 1* spleen diseases | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Matricaria chamomilla L. (LRSBG/AB/20/025) | البابونج | Capitulum | GISD: 4* liver diseases | Decoction | Oral | |
| IBS stomach ache | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Heartburn | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Raw | Topical | |||||
| HSD: 1* spleen diseases | Raw | Topical | ||||
| SD: 1* skin ulcers | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Can: 2* breast cancer | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Legs cancer | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| USD: 2* urinary tract infection/inflammation | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Bladder diseases | Infusion | Oral | ||||
| NS: 1* insomnia | Infusion | Oral | ||||
| Carlina gummifera (L.) Less. (LRSBG/AB/20/026) | الأداد | Capitulum leaves/roots | SRP: 2* infertility | Decoction | Topical | |
| Uterine problems | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| USD: 2* urinary tract infection and bladder disease | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Decoction | Topical | |||||
| SMSD: 1* osteoarthritis | Decoction | Oral/topical | ||||
| Echinops spinosissimus Turra (LRSBG/AB/20/027) | شوك الجمل | Aerial part | Can: 1* skin pimples and tumors | Decoction | Oral | |
| Artemisia herba-alba Asso. (LRSBG/AB/20/028) | الشيح | Aerial part | GH: 1* tonsillitis | Infusion | Topical | |
| Can: 2* skin cancer | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Breast cancer | Maceration | Oral | ||||
| ESD: 2* diabetes | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| CVSD: 1* cholesterol | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| KD: 1* kidney failure | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| USD: 1* bladder disease | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| RTD: * asthma | Decoction | Topical/oral | ||||
| GISD: 2* IBS and liver diseases | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| SRP: 2* infertility and uterine problems | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Carduus nutans L. (LRSBG/AB/20/104) | شوك المحني | Capitulum | HC: 1* alopecia areata | Raw | Topical | |
| Berberidaceae | Berberis vulgaris L. (LRSBG/AB/20/070) | عود الريح | Roots/bark | SRP: 1* infertility | Decoction | Topical |
| Mahonia aquifolium (Pursh) Nutt. (LRSBG/AB/20/071) | اريغون | Whole plant | Can: 2* breast cancer and legs cancer | Raw | Topical | |
| Betulaceae | Betula pendula Roth (LRSBG/AB/20/149) | عصير الشجر (الباتولية) | Bark | GISD: 1* ulcers | Infusion | Oral |
| Boraginaceae | Borago officinalis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/165) | عشبة الثور | Aerial part | SRP: 1* infertility | Decoction | Oral |
| Brassicaceae | Armoracia rusticana P.Gaertn., B.Mey. and Scherb. (LRSBG/AB/20/085) | فجل العود او الخيل | Aerial part | GH: 2* mouth ulcer | Decoction | Topical |
| Halitosis | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Sinapis arvensis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/086) | الخردل | Seeds | RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Decoction | Inhalation | |
| Eruca sativa Mill. (LRSBG/AB/20/087) | الكثأ أو الجرجير | Aerial part | SD: 1* boils | Frying | Topical | |
| Can: 1* skin pimples and tumors | Frying | Topical | ||||
| Lepidium sativum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/088) | حب الرشاد أو الحبة الحمراء الحرف | Seeds | SRP: 1* breast milk outage | Maceration | Oral | |
| RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Can: 1* cancer | Raw | Oral | ||||
| GISD: 2* colitis | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Flatulence | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Anastatica hierochuntica L. (LRSBG/AB/20/154) | عشبة مريم | Leaves | GISD: 1* gastrointestinal diseases | Decoction | Oral | |
| Burseraceae | Boswellia ameero Balf.f. (LRSBG/AB/20/074) | اللبان | Resin | RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Maceration | Topical |
| Commiphora myrrha (Nees) Engl. (LRSBG/AB/20/075) | المر | Wax | Can: 2* breast cancer | Raw | Topical | |
| Legs cancer | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Cactaceae | Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (LRSBG/AB/20/126) | التين الشوكي الكرموس | Leaves | GISD: 1* liver diseases | Maceration | Oral |
| NS: 2* headache and dizziness | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Cannabaceae | Humulus lupulus L. (LRSBG/AB/20/153) | جنجل | Leaves | HC: 3* alopecia areata | Raw | Topical |
| Baldness | ||||||
| NS: 1* headache | Raw | Topical | ||||
| GISD: 2* hemorrhoids | Raw | Topical | ||||
| ID: 2* mouth and ears infections | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Cucurbitaceae | Cucurbita maxima Duchesne (LRSBG/AB/20/100) | القرع البلدي | Seeds | NS: 1* migraine | Decoction | Inhalation |
| Citrullus colocynthis (L.) Schrad (LRSBG/AB/20/101) | الحنظل | Fruits | SD: 1* skin ulcers and leprosy | Decoction | Oral | |
| GISD: 1* constipation | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Can: skin cancer | Maceration | Oral/topical | ||||
| Cupressaceae | Juniperus foetidissima Willd. (LRSBG/AB/20/089) | العَرعَر | Aerial part | GISD: 5* IBS and stomach ache | Decoction | Oral |
| Heartburn | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Decoction | Oral | |||||
| RTD: 2* chest and lung diseases | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Can: 5* breast cancer | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Legs cancer | Raw | Topical | ||||
| SD: 1* urticaria | Maceration | Topical | ||||
| SRP: 5* infertility | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Cupressus sempervirens L. (LRSBG/AB/20/090) | السرو | Leaves | USD: 1* bladder disease | Decoction | Oral | |
| SMSD: 1* arthritis | Infusion | Topical | ||||
| Cyperaceae | Cyperus esculentus L. (LRSBG/AB/20/111) | حب عزيز | Seeds | HSD: 1* anemia | Infusion | Oral |
| Ephedraceae | Ephedra alata Decne. (LRSBG/AB/20/127) | العلندى | Aerial part | Can: 1* breast cysts and breast tumors | Raw | Topical |
| Equisetaceae | Equisetum arvense L. (LRSBG/AB/20/128) | ذيل الحصان ، وذنب الخيل | Aerial part | SMSD: 1* arthritis | Decoction | Oral |
| Fabaceae | Ceratonia siliqua L. (LRSBG/AB/20/162) | الخَرّوب | Seeds | GISD: 1* gastrointestinal diseases | Raw | Oral |
| Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (LRSBG/AB/20/029) | العرقسوس | Roots | RTD: 2* cough | Decoction | Oral | |
| Lung filtering/smoker | Infusion | Oral | ||||
| HSD: 1* spleen diseases | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| NS: 1* head problems | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Psychosis | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Senna alexandrina Mill. (LRSBG/AB/20/030) | السنامكي | Leaves | SD: 1* skin diseases | Maceration | Topical | |
| GISD: 4* colitis | Infusion/decoction | Oral | ||||
| Flatulence | ||||||
| IBS | ||||||
| Constipation | ||||||
| NS: 1* head problems | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Psychosis | Oral | |||||
| Acacia senegal (L.) Willd. (LRSBG/AB/20/031) | الصمغ العربي | Gum | SD: 1* lichen | Infusion | Topical | |
| Acacia gummifera Willd. (LRSBG/AB/20/032) | أُمّ غَيْلاَن | Leaves | Can: 3* cancer, stomach cancer, and liver cancer | Decoction | Oral | |
| GH: 1* incurable diseases | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/033) | الحُلْبَة | Seeds | HSD: 1* anemia | Maceration | Oral | |
| Can: 5* breast cancer | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Legs cancer | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Cancer | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Skin pimples | Maceration | Oral | ||||
| Tumors | Raw | Oral | ||||
| SMSD: 2* fracture back pain | Raw | Topical | ||||
| GISD: 1* stomach ache | Raw | Oral | ||||
| RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Decoction/raw | Oral/topical | ||||
| SRP: 2* infertility | Infusion | Topical | ||||
| GH: 1* anxiety disorders and hypochondria | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Melilotus officinalis (L.) Pall. (LRSBG/AB/20/034) | الهندقوق إكليل الملك | Aerial part | RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Infusion | Topical | |
| GISD: 1* IBS | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Lupinus micranthus Guss. (LRSBG/AB/20/035) | الترمز المر | Fruits | SRP: 1* infertility | Raw | Oral | |
| الدقيق | ||||||
| Fagaceae | Quercus faginea Lam. (LRSBG/AB/20/110) | العفص | Seeds | SRP: 1* uterine microbe | Decoction | Topical/oral |
| Gentianaceae | Gentiana acaulis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/112) | كف الذئب او الجنطيانا | Leaves/flowers | Can: 1* breast cancer | Raw | Topical |
| Legs cancer | ||||||
| Iridaceae | Crocus sativus L. (LRSBG/AB/20/113) | الزعفران | Stamen | SD: 1* albinism | Raw | Topical |
| NS: 1* headache | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Juglandaceae | Juglans regia L. (LRSBG/AB/20/159) | الديرم | Aerial part/park | GISD: 1* gallstones | Decoction | Oral |
| Lamiaceae | Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (LRSBG/AB/20/163) | ضرم الحار | Aerial parts | GISD: 1* hemorrhoids | Raw | Topical |
| Mentha pulegium L. (LRSBG/AB/20/036) | النَّعْنَاعُ الأُورُوبِيُّ او الفليو | Aerial part | RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Decoction | Oral | |
| USD: 1* urinary tract infection/inflammation | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| SRP: 1* infertility | Decoction | Oral/topical | ||||
| NS: 1* insomnia | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Saccocalyx satureioides Coss. and Durieu (LRSBG/AB/20/037) | يزير البل | Leaves | GISD: 1* stomach ache | Decoction | Oral | |
| ESD: 2* diabetes | Infusion | Oral | ||||
| Thymus capitatus (L.) Hoffmanns. and Link. (LRSBG/AB/20/038) | صعتر أو الزعتر | Aerial part | SD: 1* burns | Frying | Topical | |
| Mentha arvensis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/039) | النَّعْنَاُع | Aerial part | CVSD: 1* cardiovascular diseases | Raw | Oral | |
| SRP: 1* infertility | Raw | Topical | ||||
| RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Raw | Oral | ||||
| GISD: 1* IBS | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| GH: 1* anxiety disorders and hypochondria | Raw | Oral | ||||
| NS: 2* head problems | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Psychosis insomnia | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Ocimum basilicum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/040) | الريحان | Leaves | SRP: 4* infertility | Raw/decoction | Topical | |
| Uterine problems | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| GISD: 1* IBS | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| USD: 2* urinary tract infection/inflammation | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Bladder disease | Infusion | Oral | ||||
| GH: 2* fever | Decoction | Oral/topical | ||||
| NS: 1* dizziness | Maceration | Topical | ||||
| CVSD: 1* hypertension | Infusion | Topical | ||||
| Melissa officinalis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/041) | مليسا | Leaves | NS: 1* insomnia | Decoction | Oral | |
| Rosmarinus officinalis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/042) | إكليل الجبل | Aerial part | CVSD: 1* cholesterol | Decoction | Oral | |
| GISD: 2* IBS jaundice/icterus | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Infusion | Oral | |||||
| Origanum majorana L. (LRSBG/AB/20/043) | المَرْدَقُوشُ | Aerial part | SD: 1* limb swelling | Maceration | Topical | |
| Clinopodium nepeta (L.) Kuntze. (LRSBG/AB/20/044) | النَّابِطَة أو الفُوذَنْج الجَبَلِيّ | Aerial part | GISD: 1* IBS | Decoction | Oral | |
| ESD: 1* diabetes | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| CVSD: 1* cholesterol | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| KD: 1* kidney failure | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| USD: 1* bladder disease | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Lavandula stoechas L. (LRSBG/AB/20/045) | الحلحال أو أسنان داود | Aerial part | ESD: 1* diabetes | Decoction | Oral | |
| CVSD: 1* cholesterol | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| KD: 1* kidney failure | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| USD: 1* bladder diseases | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| HSD: 1* blood purify | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Thymus vulgaris L. (LRSBG/AB/20/046) | الزعتر البري | Aerial part | GISD: 1* IBS jaundice/icterus | Decoction | Oral | |
| Decoction/raw | Topical | |||||
| SRP: 2* infertility | Raw | Topical | ||||
| HC: 1* baldness | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Can: 1* breast cancer legs cancer | Raw | Topical | ||||
| USD: 1* urinary tract infection | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| GH: 1* fever | Decoction | Oral/topical | ||||
| SD: 4* skin diseases and ulcer | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Infusion | Oral | |||||
| Salvia officinalis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/047) | المَرِيمِيَّةُ او القصعين المخزني | Leaves | CVSD: 1* cholesterol | Decoction | Oral | |
| Salvia hispanica L. (LRSBG/AB/20/048) | بذور شيا | Seeds | HSD: 1* anemia | Raw | Oral | |
| Teucrium spinosum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/049) | الجَعْدَةُ | Aerial part | HSD: 1* blood purify | Maceration | Oral | |
| GISD: 1* ulcers | Raw | Topical | ||||
| CVSD: 1* diabetes | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Mentha aquatica L. (LRSBG/AB/20/050) | حبق الماء | Aerial part | GH: 1* anxiety disorders and hypochondria | Raw | Oral | |
| Marrubium vulgare L. (LRSBG/AB/20/051) | المريوت | Aerial part | Can: 3* skin pimples and tumors | Raw | Topical | |
| Skin cancer | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Breast cancer | Decoction/raw | Topical/oral | ||||
| SRP: 4* infertility | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Uterine problems | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| RTD: 1* pulmonary-Breathing problem | Frying/decoction | inhalation/topical | ||||
| Vitex agnus-castus L. (LRSBG/AB/20/052) | كف مريم | Leaves | Can: 3* breast tumor | Decoction | Oral | |
| Uterus tumor | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Gum tumor | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| NS: 1* sciatica | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Ajuga iva (L.) Schreb. (LRSBG/AB/20/053) | الشندقورة | Leaves | CVSD: 1* cholesterol | Infusion | Oral | |
| Teucrium polium L. (LRSBG/AB/20/054) | خياطة الجراح | Aerial part | GISD: 1* ulcers | Raw | Oral | |
| Mentha rotundifolia (L.) Huds | تيمرصاد | Aerial part | GISD: 1* IBS | Decoction | Oral | |
| (LRSBG/AB/20/055) | ||||||
| Lauraceae | Cinnamomum camphora (L.) J.Presl. (LRSBG/AB/20/076) | الكافور | Wax | NS: 1* migraine | Infusion | Topical |
| Cinnamomum verum J.Presl (LRSBG/AB/20/077) | قرفة | Bark | NS: 2* migraine | Raw | Oral/topical | |
| USD: 1* urinary tract infection/inflammation | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Laurus nobilis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/078) | الرند | Leaves | GISD: 1* ulcers | Decoction | Oral | |
| Linaceae | Linum usitatissimum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/130) | زريعة الكتان | Seeds | GISD: 1* IBS | Decoction | Oral |
| RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Maceration | Topical | ||||
| ESD: 1* goiter | Raw | Oral | ||||
| GH: 1* hoarseness and sore throat | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Can: 1* Skin pimples and tumors | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Lythraceae | Lawsonia inermis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/079) | الحناء | Leaves | Can: 1* Skin pimples and tumors | Decoction | Topical |
| SMSD: 1* fracture | Raw | Topical | ||||
| SD: 3* urticaria | Maceration | Topical | ||||
| Warts | Burned | Topical | ||||
| Head ulcers | Raw | Topical | ||||
| GH: 1* anxiety disorders and hypochondria | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Malvaceae | Hibiscus sabdariffa L. (LRSBG/AB/20/131) | كركدية. او الورد الحر | Flowers | CVSD: 1* hypertension | Infusion | Oral |
| Moraceae | Ficus carica L. (LRSBG/AB/20/155) | التين | Fruits | RTD: 2* chest and lung diseases | Decoction | Oral |
| Cough | ||||||
| GISD: 3* jaundice/icterus liver diseases | Raw/infusion | Oral | ||||
| Maceration | Oral | |||||
| Moringaceae | Moringa oleifera Lam. (LRSBG/AB/20/132) | المورينجا. او عشبة الحياة | Whole plant | GH: 1* incurable diseases | Decoction | Oral |
| GISD: 1* IBS | Infusion | Oral | ||||
| Myristicaceae | Myristica fragrans Houtt. (LRSBG/AB/20/114) | جَوزة الطَيب | Seeds | NS: 1* head problems | Raw | Topical |
| Psychosis | ||||||
| Myrtaceae | Myrtus communis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/151) | القمام | Leaves | RTD: 2* chest and lung diseases | Infusion | Topical |
| Myrtus nivellei Batt. and Trab. (LRSBG/AB/20/167) | قمام الصحرا | Leaves | CVSD: 1* clogged arteries | Decoction | Oral | |
| Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. and L.M.Perry. (LRSBG/AB/20/081) | القرنفل | Flower buds | NS: 1* migraine | Raw | Topical | |
| SRP: 3* infertility | Decoction/raw | Topical/oral | ||||
| RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Raw | Oral | ||||
| USD: 1* urinary tract infection/inflammation | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| GH: 1* earache and deafness | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| SD: 1* skin diseases, ulcer | Infusion | Topical | ||||
| Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (LRSBG/AB/20/082) | كَالِبتوس | Leaves | SRP: 1* infertility | Decoction | Topical | |
| Nitrariaceae | Nitraria retusa (Forssk.) Asch. (LRSBG/AB/20/161) | شجرة ليهود | Leaves | USD: 1* bladder disease | Infusion | Oral |
| Can: 1* tumors | Infusion | Oral | ||||
| Peganum harmala L. (LRSBG/AB/20/133) | الحرمل | Seeds | GISD: 1* IBS | Decoction | Oral | |
| SRP: 1* infertility | Raw | Topical | ||||
| RTD: 2* chest and lung diseases | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Nasal-lung inflammation | Decoction | Inhalation | ||||
| GH: 1* fever | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| USD: 1* urinary tract infection/inflammation | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Oleaceae | Olea oleaster Hoffmanns. and Link (LRSBG/AB/20/094) | الزبوج | Leaves | GH: 1* mouth ulcer | Decoction | Topical |
| Olea europaea L. (LRSBG/AB/20/095) | الزيتون | Leaves fruits | GH: 1* mouth ulcer and halitosis | Decoction | Topical | |
| NS: 1* head problems | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Psychosis | ||||||
| Orobanchaceae | Cistanche tubulosa (Schenk) Wight. (LRSBG/AB/20/134) | ذنون | Whole plant | GISD: 1* colitis | Raw | Oral |
| Papaveraceae | Hypecoum procumbens L. (LRSBG/AB/20/135) | جهيرة (الخشخاشية) | Aerial part | Can: 1* skin pimples and tumors | Raw | Topical |
| Parmeliaceae | Evernia prunastri L. (LRSBG/AB/20/158) | لحية شيخ | Lichens | Can: 1* cancer | Decoction | Oral |
| GISD: 1* gastrointestinal diseases | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| NS: 1* epilepsy | Decoction | inhalation | ||||
| Paronychioideae | Telephium imperati L. (LRSBG/AB/20/150) | تسمرغينت | Aerial part | GH: 1* mouth ulcer | Infusion | Topical/oral |
| HSD: 1* anemia | ||||||
| Pedaliaceae | Sesamum indicum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/136) | السِّمْسِم أو. جلجلان | Seeds | SRP: 2* infertility | Raw | Oral |
| Breast milk outage | Maceration | Oral | ||||
| GH: 1* mouth ulcer | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Phyllanthaceae | Phyllanthus niruri L. (LRSBG/AB/20/137) | الأَمْلَج | Leaves | Can: 1* cancer | Raw/decoction | Oral |
| RTD: 1* cough | ||||||
| Pinaceae | Pinus maritima Aiton (LRSBG/AB/20/138) | الزنين | Fruits | Can: 2* blood cancer | Decoction | Oral |
| Stomach cancer | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Liver cancer | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Maceration | Topical | ||||
| ESD: 1* goiter | Raw | Topical | ||||
| GH: 1* hoarseness and sore throat | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Pinus pinaster Aiton (LRSBG/AB/20/152) | تايدة لحاء شجرة الصنوبر البحري | Bark | GISD: 1* diarrhea | Raw | Oral | |
| Piperaceae | Piper cubeba Bojer (LRSBG/AB/20/102) | الكبابة، حب العروس | Seeds | SRP: 1* infertility | Raw | Oral |
| Piper nigrum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/103) | الفلفل الأسود | Seeds | GH: 1* earache and deafness | Decoction | Topical | |
| Plantaginaceae | Digitalis purpurea L. (LRSBG/AB/20/115) | القِمَعية او الدِّيجيتال | Flowers | CVSD: 1* cardiovascular diseases | Raw | Oral |
| Poaceae | Cymbopogon schoenanthus (L.) Spreng. (LRSBG/AB/20/091) | الإذخر أو الليمونية | Leaves | Can: 1* skin pimples and tumors | Decoction | Topical |
| Stipa tenacissima L. (LRSBG/AB/20/092) | نبات الحلفــــــــــــــاء | Leaves | CVSD: 1* cholesterol | Maceration | Oral | |
| Hordeum vulgare L. (LRSBG/AB/20/093) | الشعير الزرع | Seeds | SD: 1* burns | Frying | Topical | |
| Poales | Aristida pungens Desf (LRSBG/AB/20/157) | الدرين | Stalk | HSD: 1* anemia | Decoction | Oral |
| Portulacaceae | Portulaca oleracea L. (LRSBG/AB/20/116) | البقلة او بندراق | Leaves | GISD: 1* stomach ache | Decoction | Oral |
| Punicaceae | Punica granatum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/080) | الرمان | Peels/fruits | GISD: 6* gastrointestinal diseases | Decoction | Oral |
| IBS | Raw/decoction | Oral | ||||
| Heartburn | Stewing | Oral | ||||
| Stomach ache | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Diarrhea | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| GH: 2* mouth ulcer | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Halitosis | ||||||
| NS: 1* headache | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| Ranunculaceae | Nigella sativa L. (LRSBG/AB/20/139) | حبة البركة. أو الحبة السوداء. او السانوج | Seeds | NS: 1* migraine | Decoction | Inhalation |
| RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Can: 3* cancer | Raw | Oral | ||||
| SMSD: 3* acute arthritis and gout | Raw | Oral | ||||
| SD: 2* itchy skin | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Limb swelling | ||||||
| Rhamnaceae | Rhamnus alaternus L. (LRSBG/AB/20/083) | آمليلس أو مليلس أو عود الخير | Bark/leaves/flowers | GISD: 2* jaundice and icterus | Decoction | Oral |
| Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Desf. (LRSBG/AB/20/084) | النبق شجرة السدر | Fruits/leaves | GISD: 1* jaundice and icterus | Raw | Oral | |
| Can: 1* cancer | Raw | Oral | ||||
| SD: 1* skin diseases and ulcer | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Rosaceae | Potentilla reptans L. (LRSBG/AB/20/166) | حشيشة الخامسة | Leaves | SD: 2* itchy skin limb swelling | Raw | Oral |
| Raw | Oral | |||||
| Prunus persica (L.) Batsch. (LRSBG/AB/20/056) | الخوخ | Leaves | Can: 2* cancer | Raw | Oral | |
| SD: 1* limb swelling | Infusion | Topical | ||||
| Alchemilla vulgaris L. (LRSBG/AB/20/057) | رجل الأسد | Leaves | SD: 1* skin diseases and ulcer | Infusion | Topical | |
| Crataegus azarolus L. (LRSBG/AB/20/058) | الزعرور | Fruits/flowers | CVSD: 1* cardiovascular diseases | Raw | Oral | |
| NS: 2* headache | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Dizziness | ||||||
| Eriobotrya japonica (Thunb.) Lindl | النيفلة او البشملة | Leaves | NS: 2* headache | Decoction | Oral | |
| (LRSBG/AB/20/059) | Dizziness | |||||
| Potentilla erecta (L.) Raeusch. (LRSBG/AB/20/060) | لنجبار | Roots | SRP: 1* breast milk outage | Maceration | Oral | |
| RTD: 1* chest and lung diseases | Raw | Oral | ||||
| GISD: 2* stomach ache | Infusion | Oral | ||||
| Ulcers | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Prunus domestica L. (LRSBG/AB/20/061) | البرقوق | Fruits | GISD: 2* jaundice | Maceration | Oral | |
| Liver diseases | ||||||
| Prunus amygdalus L. (LRSBG/AB/20/062) | اللوز | Fruits | SRP: 1* infertility | Decoction | Oral | |
| Cydonia oblonga Mill. (LRSBG/AB/20/063) | السَفَرْجَل | Fruits | CVSD: 1* cardiovascular diseases | Raw | Oral | |
| Rubiaceae | Rubia tinctorum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/117) | الفُوَّة | Roots | NS: 1* sciatica | Raw | Oral |
| SRP: 1* infertility | Raw | Oral | ||||
| HSD: 1* anemia | Maceration | Oral | ||||
| USD: 1* urinary tract infection/inflammation | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Rutaceae | Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck. (LRSBG/AB/20/105) | الليمون | Fruits | RTD: 3* asthma | Decoction | Oral |
| Lung filtering/smoker | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Pneumonia | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| NS: 1* dizziness | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| CVSD: 1* hypertension | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| GISD: 1* liver diseases | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| HSD: 1* spleen diseases | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Ruta chalepensis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/106) | السَّذَاب أو الفَيْجَل | Aerial part | GISD: 2* IBS jaundice/icterus, | Decoction | Oral | |
| Decoction/raw | Oral/topical | |||||
| SRP: 6* infertility | Decoction | Topical | ||||
| GH: 1* earache and deafness | Infusion | Topical | ||||
| SD: 2* limb swelling | Raw | topical | ||||
| NS: 1* headache | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Salvadoraceae | Salvadora persica L. (LRSBG/AB/20/140) | مسواك | Bark | RTD: 2* asthma | Decoction | Oral |
| Lung filtering/smoker | ||||||
| SRP: 1* infertility | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Santalaceae | Santalum album L. (LRSBG/AB/20/118) | الصَنْدَل | Bark/fruits | NS: 1* migraine | Decoction | Topical/oral |
| Scrophulariaceae | Verbascum sinuatum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/141) | مصلح الأنظار أو البوصير أو تيسراو | Leaves | RTD: 5* pneumonia, chest and lung diseases, and asthma | Infusion | Topical |
| GISD: 6* IBS and stomach pain | Decoction | Oral and steam | ||||
| Solanaceae | Lycium shawii Roem. and Schult (LRSBG/AB/20/142) | العوسج | Roots/fruits/leaves | SD: 5* skin ulcers | Decoction | Oral |
| Leprosy | ||||||
| SRP: 4* uterine problems, infertility | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| SMSD: 2* osteoarthritis and gout | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Nicotiana tabacum L. (LRSBG/AB/20/129) | الشمة | Leaves | GH: 1* tonsillitis | Infusion | Topical | |
| Tamaricaceae | Tamarix aphylla (L.) H.Karst. (LRSBG/AB/20/143) | طحطاح | Leaves | NS: 1* headache | Decoction | Oral |
| Theaceae | Camellia sinensis (L.) Kuntze. (LRSBG/AB/20/120) | الشاي الأخضر | Leaves | SRP: 1* infertility | Maceration | Topical |
| SD: 1* itchy skin | Maceration | Topical | ||||
| Thymelaeaceae | Daphne gnidium L. (LRSBG/AB/20/107) | لازاز | Leaves | HC: 1* hair loss | Raw | Topical |
| RTD: 1* sinusitis | Steaming | Topical | ||||
| Aquilaria malaccensis Lam. (LRSBG/AB/20/108) | العود الهندي أو عود غريس/أغريس | Bark | Can: 4* blood cancer | Decoction | Oral | |
| Stomach cancer | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Liver cancer | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Cancer | Raw | Topical | ||||
| HC: 1* alopecia areata | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Ulmaceae | Ulmus rubra Muhl. (LRSBG/AB/20/144) | الدردار | Leaves | ID: 1* laryngitis | Decoction | Oral |
| SMSD: 1* moving difficulty | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Urticaceae | Urtica dioica L. (LRSBG/AB/20/121) | حُرَّيْق أو القُرَّاص | Leaves | USD: 1* urinary tract infection/inflammation | Decoction | Oral |
| KD: 1* kidney problems | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| SMSD: 1* arthritis | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Parietaria officinalis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/122) | فتات الحجر | Aerial part | KD: 1* urolithiasis | Decoction | Oral | |
| Verbenaceae | Verbena officinalis L. (LRSBG/AB/20/146) | رِعْيُ الحَمَام | Aerial part | SRP: 1* uterine problems | Decoction | Oral |
| USD: 1* bladder disease | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Vitaceae | Vitis vinifera L. (LRSBG/AB/20/147) | زبيب | Fruits | HSD: 1* anemia | Infusion | Oral |
| SMSD: 2* back pain | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Moving difficulty | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Xanthorrhoeaceae | Aloe vera (L.) Burm. f. (LRSBG/AB/20/164) | صبر | Leaves | SRP: 1* infertility | Decoction | Oral |
| GISD: 1* stomach ache | Maceration | Oral | ||||
| Aloe perryi Baker (LRSBG/AB/20/125) | الصَبِر السُقُطْري | Leaves | GISD: 2* colitis + flatulence | Raw | Oral | |
| Zingiberaceae | Zingiber officinale Roscoe (LRSBG/AB/20/064) | زنجبيل او سكنجبير | Roots | Can: 3* breast cancer | Raw | Topical |
| Legs cancer | Maceration | Topical | ||||
| RTD: 2* chest and lung diseases | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| USD: 1* urinary tract infection/inflammation | Raw | Oral | ||||
| GISD: 3* colitis | Raw | Oral | ||||
| Flatulence | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Jaundice/icterus | Raw | Oral | ||||
| GH: 1* hoarseness and sore throat | Raw | Oral | ||||
| NS: 1* head problems and psychosis | Raw | Topical | ||||
| SD: 1* skin diseases and ulcer | Maceration | Topical | ||||
| ESD: 1* goiter | Decoction | Oral | ||||
| Curcuma longa L. (LRSBG/AB/20/065) | الكركم | Roots | GISD: 2* jaundice | Infusion | Oral | |
| Liver diseases | Infusion | Oral | ||||
| GH: 2* anxiety disorders and hypochondria | Raw | Topical/oral | ||||
| NS: 1* head problems and psychosis | Raw | Topical | ||||
| Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton. (LRSBG/AB/20/066) | حب الهال | Seeds | GISD: 1* heartburn | Decoction | Oral | |
| Zygophyllaceae | Tetraena alba (L.f.) Beier and Thulin. (LRSBG/AB/20/148) | العكاية | Leaves/seeds | ESD: 1* diabetes | Decoction | Oral |
List of medicinal plants used by traditional healers in the study areas.
Moreover, future ethnobotanical studies should adopt a multiple evidence-based approach that considers both the social-ecological-cultural context and local linguistic characteristics. In the same line, there is an urgent need for a clear strategy to include the local ethnobotanical knowledge in the conservation of biodiversity besides strong legislation aiming to protect the local medicinal species. Furthermore, establishing a unified local folk pharmacopeia based on different ethnobotanical and pharmacological investigations could be considered as one of the most important challenges in the future decade.
Statements
Data availability statement
The original contributions presented in the study are included in the article/Supplementary Material; further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author.
Author contributions
BB designed the study and prepared the questionnaire. KB carried out the ethnobotanical investigations. BB performed the identification of medicinal species. BB and KB verified the vernacular and scientific names of medicinal species. BB and KB analyzed the data and wrote the manuscript. BB revised the final version of the manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.
Acknowledgments
The authors would like to thank all the traditional healers for sharing their valuable knowledge.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations or those of the publisher, the editors, and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
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Summary
Keywords
Algeria, medicinal plants (herbal drugs), traditional healers, phytotherapy, ethnobotany
Citation
Belhouala K and Benarba B (2021) Medicinal Plants Used by Traditional Healers in Algeria: A Multiregional Ethnobotanical Study. Front. Pharmacol. 12:760492. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2021.760492
Received
18 August 2021
Accepted
25 October 2021
Published
29 November 2021
Volume
12 - 2021
Edited by
Alessandra Durazzo, Council for Agricultural Research and Economics, Italy
Reviewed by
Gizem Emre, Marmara University, Turkey
Emin Ugurlu, Bursa Technical University, Turkey
Cecilia Cordero, St. Dominic College of Asia, Philippines
Updates
Copyright
© 2021 Belhouala and Benarba.
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Bachir Benarba, bachirsb@yahoo.fr
This article was submitted to Ethnopharmacology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology
Disclaimer
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