Ethnopharmacological documentation of medicinal plants used in the traditional treatment of diabetes in Tar faya province (Morocco)

Moroccan people have a rich tradition of phytotherapy. Studies have been carried in different areas in order to describe local pharmacopoeia. However, very little information is available on the traditional medicine of Tarfaya province. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted to document medicinal plants used for diabetes treatment by the inhabitants of this province. A 150 respondents were interviewed through semi-structured surveys. A total of 68 medical plants belonging to 35 families were identif ied in the region. The most encountered medicinal plant families were Lamiaceae, Fabaceae and Apiaceae. Citrullus colocynthis, Ajuga iva, Allium sativum, Foeniculum vulgare, Ammodaucus leucotrichus and Searsia tripartita were reported as major medicinal plants to treat diabetes in Morocco. The present ethnobotanical study will extend the list of plants already mentioned in use for diabetes treatment in Morocco. However, further studies on their conservation strategies, phytochemical characterization and pharmacological validations are required to serve as a source for alternative therapeutic treatments.