Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used for the treatment of diabetes, cardiac and renal diseases in the North centre region of Morocco (Fez-Boulemane)

In order to make an inventory of herbal remedies commonly used in the treat ment of diabetes, hypertension and renal diseases in the North centre regio n of Morocco, 1527 patients (1095 diabetic patients, 274 with renal disorde rs and 158 with cardiac disorders) and 25 traditional herbal healers were i nterviewed in four different areas of Fez-Boulemane region. More than 1153 of the total patients interviewed (76%) used regularly medicinal plants to treat diabetes, cardiac and renal diseases. These data showed that phytothe rapy has always be practiced in this region. All the persons interviewed ha ve indicated that the reasons of using phytotherapy is that the plant medic ines are cheapest (54%) and more efficient (38%) than modem medicine. They also reported that the result of phytotherapy is better (72%). Our survey s tarted at May 1997. About 90 plants were cited (54 plants for diabetes, I I for cardiac diseases, 19 for hypertension and 33 for renal diseases). The plants reported have been identified and are presented in a table with the vernacular name, useful parts, ecological distribution and medicinal uses. Only 12% of the total patients have a relative knowledge of the toxic plant s. The result indicated that nine plants are extremely toxic at high doses and chronic treatment. Fifty nine percent of the interviewers have indicate d that they used medicinal plants from the experience of the other. (C) 200 1 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.