Phytotherapy in response to COVID-19 and risks of intoxication: A field study in the city of Meknes (Morocco)

Abstract

Context: The contagious global pandemic of coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) has prompted many Moroccans to turn to traditional phytoremedies. Aims: To highlight the ethnopharmacological information and the risks of intoxication related to the use of herbal medicine to combat COVID-19. Methods: Through a semi-structured questionnaire and using the “Free listing” technique, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted among 36 herbalists of the Meknes prefecture to collect ethnopharmacological data on species used in the fight against COVID-19. Then, many databases were used to document their pharmacological and toxicological activities. Results: A total of 36 species in 22 families were reported to be used to prepare traditional recipes against COVID-19. According to the relative frequency index of citation, the species Artemisia herba-alba Asso, Eucalyptus globulus Labill, Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry, Citrus limon (L.) Osbeck, and Zingiber officinale Roscoe. were recommended by all respondents and recorded the highest usage values. Based on the value of the plant parts index, leaves were the most used part (PPV = 0.37). Most of the remedies were prepared as infusions and administered orally. The bibliographic research revealed that the plants used have several biological activities and are frequently used to treat respiratory diseases. However, some of them have been reported to be toxic. Conclusions: Recommended species are endowed with innumerable biological activities. They can be a promising alternative to combat COVID-19. However, their toxic effects require pharmacotoxicological studies to ensure the safety and efficacy of these natural remedies.

Ethnobotanical Study on the Use of Medicinal Plants With Antiviral Interest, Case of Sars-Cov-19, in the Region of Seraidi (Annaba, North-East Algeria)

“…To this end, the most recommended medicinal plants with antiviral interest for the treatment and prevention against COVID-19 infection by the population of Seraidi, and cited in the majority of research work carried out in Algeria (Helali et al, 2019;Haoud and Mellali, 2021;Brahmi et al, 2022;Boutabia et al, 2011;Bouafia et al, 2021) and in Morocco (Benlamdini et al, 2014;Hseini and Kahouadji, 2007 ;Lahsissene et al, 2009 ;Belhaj and Zidane, 2021;Najem et al, 2022) are Origanum vulgare, Thymus vulgaris, Zingiber officinale, Eucalyptus globulus, Artemisia herba-alba, Syzygium aromaticum, Allium sativum, Citrus limon, Melissa officinalis, Pulmonaria officinalis, Ziziphus lotus, Urtica dioica and Pistacia lentiscus.…”

Quantitative and Qualitative Ethnobotanical Study of Medicinal Plants used in Oulmes Region, Morocco for the Treatment of Diseases and Infections

“…People aged 40-49 years have the highest frequency of use of medicinal plants with a percentage of 44,33%. The age groups [50][51][52][53][54][55][56][57][58][59], [<30], and [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38][39] come next with a percentage of 21,65%, 14,43%, and 12,37%, respectively, while the age group not well represented is the respondents over 60 years old (7,22%) (Table 1). These results show that the distribution of ethnomedical know-how is clearly visible across the different age groups, including those under 30 years of age, which attests to the persistence of natural and traditional treatments and the durability of knowledge transmission from one generation to the next 31 .…”

“…For quantitative analysis, the collected data were used to calculate various quantitative indices of it namely: use value (UV), family use values (FUV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), level of fidelity (NF), informant consensus factor (ICF), relative importance (RI) and cultural importance index (CI). 26,27,28,29,30,31,32,33 Use value (UV): Used to assess respondents' appreciation of locally known medicinal plant species. It was calculated using the following formula 29,31 :…”

“…Calculating that index of the species allows us to establish a link between each species and the uses assigned to it. 33 High use values reflect the importance given to species in connection with their therapeutic virtues. The UV of the mentioned plant species varied from 0,010 to 0,27835.…”

“…Our results confirm that the important families are not the most represented in number of species, but rather, the importance and use value of the species belonging to these families in the treatment of various diseases. 31,33 Relative Frequency of Citation and usage ratio: The Citation relative frequency (RFC) was used to record the highest therapeutic medicinal flora. The RFC calculation revealed that some species are more recommended than others, probably because they are well known to the respondents for their frequent use in the treatment of various diseases.…”