Inflammation is a mechanism that occurs against aggressive agents such as infections, wounds, pollens, autoimmune diseases, and tissue damage. Morocco has traditionally used herbal remedies to treat many illnesses, including inflammation. The objective of this study was to describe the Moroccan medicinal plants used in inflammation treatment. This systematic review examines ethnobotanical studies published in English and French in the literature as well as the pharmacological studies that assess anti-inflammatory activity in vitro and in vivo, from databases (Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, and Springer). The research was carried out until August 2021. In ethnobotanical surveys, 100 medicinal plants were identified, which belonged to 52 families of which the most often cited are Lamiaceae with 18 species, followed by Apiaceae (13 species) and Asteraceae (10 species). The most used plants to treat inflammation in Morocco are: Coriandrum sativum L, Caralluma europaea (Guss.) Nebr., Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill., Capparis spinosa L., Anacyclus pyrethrum (L.) Lag, Ajuga iva (L.) Schreb., Thymus atlanticus (Ball) Pau, Thymus saturejoides Coss, Thymus zygis L., Lawsonia isermis L. and Rosmarinus officinalis L. This review highlighted Moroccan medicinal plants used in traditional medicine to treat inflammation. Many of this plant species require additional pharmacological, and clinical studies to verify which plants are effective in treating inflammation.

Cytisus villosus Pourr. (C. villosus) is a medicinal plant belonging to the Fabaceae family, which grows in the Mediterranean area. It is used in traditional medicine against diseases related to inflammation. The objective of the present study was to identify the mineral and polyphenolic composition as well as to evaluate some biological properties including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic activities of C. villosus leaf aqueous extract. The chemical constituents were identified and quantified using ultra performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS) methods. The antioxidant properties of C. villosus leaves were tested using reducing power (RP), 2,2-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS), and 2,2′-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assays. The anti-inflammatory potency was evaluated in vitro and in vivo using the albumin denaturation test and the carrageenan test, respectively. Furthermore, the analgesic effect was performed in vivo using tail flick, acetic acid-induced contortion, and plantar tests. Mineralogical analysis revealed that potassium and calcium were the most abundant minerals. The analysis and quantification of the phytochemical composition using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS showed that quinic acid (57.478 ± 1.72 mg/kg) was the major compound of the aqueous extract, followed by salicylic acid (17.38 ± 0.2 mg/kg), isoquercetin (16.895 ± 1.01 mg/kg), and gallic acid (15.914 ± 1.51 mg/kg). The extracts showed potent antioxidant activity for all tests used. The highest antioxidant activity was recorded for the DPPH, ABTS and RP methods, with an IC50 of 3.94 ± 0.09, 2.88 ± 0.07, and 1.94 ± 0.10 μg/mL, respectively. Additionally, using the most frequent analgesic assays, the aqueous extract at a dose of 500 mg/kg exhibited a potent analgesic activity. Notably, an interesting inhibition of albumin denaturation was recorded with an IC50 of 383.94 μg/mL, corroborating the in vivo test. Overall, the results presented here may represent a scientific basis for the traditional use of C. villosus in the treatment of inflammation-related diseases.

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