Diversity of Medicinal Plants Used by the Local Communities of the Coastal Plateau of Safi Province (Morocco).

Traditional herbal medicine is still used for basic healthcare by a significant portion of the population in developing countries. This study aimed to explore the medicinal plant's diversity and to document related traditional knowledge in the Safi region of Morocco. We used semi-structured questionnaires to interview 222 informants living in the study area. To perform data analysis, we used quantitative indices like use value (UV), family use value (FUV), fidelity level (FL), the relative popularity level (RPL), rank of order priority (ROP), and informant consensus factor (ICF). We reported the ethnomedicinal uses of 144 medicinal plants belonging to 64 families. According to the findings, the dominating families were Lamiaceae (17 taxa), Asteraceae (15 taxa), and Apiaceae (12 taxa). The most commonly utilized plant part (48%) was leaves. The decoction was reported as the main preparation method (42%). Highly cited plant species were Marrubium vulgare (UV = 0.56), Salvia rosmarinus Spenn. (UV = 0.47), Thymus serpyllum (UV = 0.32), and Dysphania ambrosioides (UV = 0.29). Papaveraceae (FUV = 0.26), and Urticaceae (FUV= 0.23), Geraniaceae (FUV = 0.17), Oleaceae (FUV = 0.17), Lamiaceae (FUV = 0.17) had the highest family use-values. Gastrointestinal disorders (88%), respiratory diseases (85%), and anemia (66%) have the greatest ICF values. This study reveals the indigenous people's reliance on plant-derived traditional medicine to prevent, alleviate, and treat a broad range of health concerns. Our findings will provide a scientific basis for ethnomedicinal legacy conservation and further scientific investigations aimed at new natural bioactive molecules discovery.

Phytochemical Analysis and Toxicity Study of Aristolochia paucinervis Rhizomes Decoction Used in Moroccan Alternative Medicine: Histopathological and Biochemical Profiles.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Aristolochia paucinervis (A. paucinervis) (Aristolochiaceae) is a plant frequently used in Moroccan alternative medicine. The aim of the current study is to investigate the phytochemical composition of rhizomes decoction of A. paucinervis (RDA) and to evaluate its acute and subacute toxicity following the OECD guidelines. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The qualitative phytochemical analysis of A. paucinervis was performed using standard qualitative phytochemical procedures. The acute toxicity of rhizomes decoction of the studied plant was evaluated in mice at single doses of 1, 2, and 4 g/kg of body weight for 14 days. In subacute toxicity study, the decoction was orally administered to mice at three different doses (0.5, 1, and 1.5 g/kg/day) for 28 days. Histopathological and biochemical parameters were investigated. RESULTS: The preliminary phytochemical screening showed the presence of flavonoids, saponins, alkaloids, and polyphenols and the absence of anthraquinones, sterols, and terpenes. There was no mortality and no significant changes occurred in animals treated with 1 and 2 g/kg in the acute toxicity model. The signs of toxicity and morbidity were remarkable with the highest tested dose (4g/kg). LD50 (dose required to kill 50% of the test population) was determined as 4 g/kg. Repeated oral administration of 1 and 1.5 g/kg/day of RDA for 28 days induced significant disturbance of serum parameters (AST, ALT, LDH, urea, creatinine). Kidney and liver extracted from mice fed with 1 and 1.5 g/kg/day showed significant histopathological injuries as tubular necrosis, inflammatory infiltrate, tubular degeneration, necrosis, and hepatic cholestasis. Meanwhile, neither histopathological nor biochemical alterations were observed in mice treated with 0.5 g/kg/day of body weight in comparison to the control group. CONCLUSION: RDA showed toxicity in mice at a dose of 1 g/kg/day under subacute toxicity conditions. RDA is safe at a single dose inferior to 4 g/kg of body weight. The plant extract prepared by decoction showed more poisonous effect than the extract prepared by maceration at room temperature.

Anti-inflammatory potential of Capparis spinosa L. in vivo in mice through inhibition of cell infiltration and cytokine gene expression.

BACKGROUND: Several chronic inflammatory diseases are characterized by inappropriate CD4+ T cell response. In the present study, we assessed the ability of Capparis spinosa L. (CS) preparation to orientate, in vivo, the immune response mediated by CD4+ T cells towards an anti-inflammatory response. METHODS: The in vivo study was carried out by using the contact hypersensitivity (CHS) model in Swiss mice. Then we performed a histological analysis followed by molecular study by using real time RT-PCR. We also realized a phytochemical screening and a liquid-liquid separation of CS preparation. RESULTS: Our study allowed us to detect a significantly reduced edema in mice treated with CS preparations relative to control. CS effect was dose dependent, statistically similar to that observed with indomethacin, independent of the plant genotype and of the period of treatment. Furthermore, our histology studies revealed that CS induced a significant decrease in immune cell infiltration, in vasodilatation and in dermis thickness in the inflammatory site. Interestingly, we showed that CS operated by inhibiting cytokine gene expression including IFNγ, IL-17 and IL-4. Besides, phytochemical screening of CS extract showed the presence of several chemical families such as saponins, flavonoids and alkaloids. One (hexane fraction) out of the three distinct prepared fractions, exhibited an anti-inflammatory effect similar to that of the raw preparation, and would likely contain the bioactive(s) molecule(s). CONCLUSIONS: Altogether, our data indicate that CS regulates inflammation induced in vivo in mice and thus could be a source of anti-inflammatory molecules, which could be used in some T lymphocyte-dependent inflammatory diseases.