Ethnopharmacological Survey of Plants Used for Immunological Diseases in Four Regions of Morocco

Several ethnopharmacology studies have been conducted on medicinal plants used in traditional medicine to treat diseases related to digestive disorder, diabetes and hypertension etc. However, no study has focused on how the plants can be used to treat diseases related directly or indirectly to the immune system dysfunction.

The aim of this work is to study and to determine the therapeutic natural profile used in the Moroccan folk medicine to treat ten diseases related directly or indirectly to immune system dysfunction. Namely, Asthma, Allergy, Cancer, Eczema & Psoriasis, Hepatitis, Infectious diseases, Arthritis-rheumatoid, Rheumatism, inflammation pathologies and immune system depression.

Ethnobotanical interviews were conducted out in four regions of Morocco from April 2006 to June 2008. A total of 140 interviews were carried out about plants used for immune system dysfunction using a formulary support.

The data of this study led to identify 130 medicinal plants belonging to 116 genera and 52 botanical families in four regions of Morocco; Fez-Boulmane (FB), Meknes-Tafilalt (MT), Tanger-Tetouan (TT) and Marrakech-Tensift-Al Haouz (MTH). The best families represented were: Asteraceae 36.5%, Lamiaceae 25% and Apiaceae 19.23%. The total species plants used correspond to the following percentages; 16% to treat Allergy, 18% Arthritis-rheumatoid, 40% Asthma, 28% Cancer, 13% Inflammation, 32% Rheumatism, 22% Infections diseases, 31% Eczema & Psoriasis, 20% Hepatitis and 9% immune system depression. Of these species, 3.07% are endemic to Morocco, 18.46% are common weeds, 2.77% are semi-cultived and naturalized and the rest 75.7% are native to flora. The survey showed that leaves were the most used part. The majority of the traditional medications are prepared as decoction and infusion 29%. Globally, both modes of administration are used to treat diseases. Internal administration mode is presented by oral ingestion which is the most used route 76%. However, the external administration modes are highly used to treat some pathology such as Eczema and Rheumatism.

In conclusion, this study showed the pattern of single Moroccan herbs or herbal formulae that are used in treating ten diseases related to immune system dysfunction. Further, clinical trials are needed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of plants for the treating of these pathologies.