Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants used for Therapeutic Purposes by the Population of the Sidi Kacem region in Northeastern Morocco

Abstract

In the Sidi Kacem region of Morocco, an ethnobotanical study was carried out with the goal of conserving traditional oral knowledge on the use of therapeutic plants. This study is a continuation of our earlier work and is a component of larger ethnobotanical research, with the goal of enhancing and expanding upon the ethnobotanical data in the study area. The study involved 530 local inhabitants in all. Open-ended, semi-structured interview questions served as the foundation for the methodology. Basic statistical tools and quantitative indices like plant part value, fidelity level, informant agreement rate, botanical family use value, and species use value were used to examine the data. 75 plant species, spread throughout 41 botanical families, were identified during the study. With 12 species, the Lamiaceae family had the highest representation (0.21). The one with the highest usage value (0.69) was Dittrichia viscosa (L) Greuter. 34 plant species were identified with a maximum Fidelity Level of 100%. The highest level of informant consensus was found for uses pertaining to viral infections, digestive, metabolic, and nervous system illnesses (0.97). The fidelity level reached 100%, indicating strong consistency in plant use. Leaves were the most frequently employed plant part (0.489), whereas powders represented the most common form of preparation. These findings highlight both the floristic richness of the region and the robustness of traditional knowledge associated with medicinal plants. They further underscore the need for comprehensive phytochemical and pharmacological investigations of local species.