Medicinal Plants Adopted as Aphrodisiacs by Traditional Gynecologists in the Souss Massa Region

Abstract

The population of southern Morocco particularly that of Souss Massa uses traditional empirical care, several specialties of traditional medicine exist in the region including women healers considered traditional gynecologists, these women used medicinal plants to treat female genital disorders. This study was carried out in order to collect information on the therapeutic practices and medicinal plants adopted and used by women healers named locally by "ferraga" or "tachrift" and "tagouramt" in the Souss Massa region (Agadir Idaoutanan, Inzegane Ait Meloul and Chtouka Ait Baha), in order to preserve and protect this invaluable inheritance from loss and overlook. Using questionnaires, a series of surveys were conducted during the years 2020-2021, on the one hand, among the population (sample of 279 people) to determine the importance of these women healers in the health sector of the region of these women healers, and on the other hand, a survey was conducted among these women healers to collect the recipes adopted in the treatment of female genital disorders especially infertility and sterility in these situations they prescribe aphrodiasitic plants. we recorded 59 species, divided into 28 botanical families, of which the Lamiaceae (15%) and the Apiaceae (12%) are the most widespread, and generally Leaves (35.38%) and seeds (18.48%) are the most used plant parts. These results show that the women healers have a very important place in the health service, especially they have a very interesting knowledge of the treatment of female genital disorders. The plants identified in this study could constitute a data base for further research in the field of phytochemistry and pharmacology.