Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used in traditional treatment of respiratory system disorders in the Southeast region of Morocco

The use of medicinal plants in primary healthcare in Africa, especially among populations in developing countries, is a common practice. To identify the most commonly used medicinal plants in traditional medicine for treating common respiratory disorders, an ethnobotanical survey was conducted in the Draa Tafilalet region, South-Eastern Morocco, involving 235 herbalists and sellers of medicinal plants from three provinces (Errachidia, Tinghir, and Zagora). Ethnobotanical data were evaluated using use value (UV), frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC), and family importance value (FIV). The survey identified a total of 76 species belonging to 39 families, with the most represented being Lamiaceae, Apiaceae, and Asteraceae, followed by Fabaceae. As for the most commonly used species against respiratory disorders, they include Origanum vulgare L. (UV = 0.413), Artemisia herba-alba (UV = 0.370), Foeniculum vulgare (UV = 0.357), Thymus vulgaris (UV = 0.332), Lavandula dentata (UV = 0.319), Matricaria chamomilla (UV = 0.311), Nigella sativa (UV = 0.302), Allium sativum L. (UV = 0.298), Eucalyptus globulus (UV = 0.289), and Plantago major L. (UV= 0.281). Decoction (48.68%) and infusion (47.37%) are the most recommended preparation methods by herbalists for remedies. Leaves are the most prescribed part, while the majority of plants are exclusively administered orally (92.11%). This ethnobotanical survey holds the potential to aid scientists and researchers in identifying plants that treat common respiratory disorders, potentially invaluable for the development of novel drugs.