Traditional and Therapeutic uses of Medicinal Plants by Local Populations of Djebel Medjounes (Algeria)

Abstract

This floristic and ethnobotanical study was conducted in order to make the most complete inventory possible of medicinal plants of Djebel Medjounes and to gather information about the therapeutic uses practiced in the region. Using a questionnaire, ethnobotanical surveys were conducted in the region. The total richness is 65 species belonging to 31 families. The dominant families are represented by Lamiaceae which are the majority, followed by Asteraceae, Apiaceae, Rosaceae, Brassicaceae and others. The majority of plants are therapeutic (70%) belonging to various botanical families, the most important of which is the family Lamiaceae with 6 species. The diseases treated by the 08 most used species are: digestive disorders (stomach aches, abdominal swelling, diarrhea), respiratory problems (cough, asthma, flu), Nervous and mental disorders (against angina, headaches. cough), dermatological problems (tonic, allergies, dandruff) and liver diseases. The most used species by the local population are: rosemary (Rosmarinus eriocalyx), white horehound (Marrubium vulgare), thyme (Thymus munbyanus), mints (Mentha suaveolens, Mentha pulegium) and oregano (Origanum vulgare subsp. glandulosum); the holm oak (Quercus ilex) and the Artemisia (Artemisia herba alba). The surveys conducted have allowed to inventory the medicinal species and to collect the maximum of information about the traditional therapeutic uses. These results can be considered as a source of information for scientific research in the field of phytochemistry and pharmacology.