Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge on Medicinal Plants Used by the Populations in Central Russikada (Northeastern Algeria)

Abstract

ABSTRACT An ethnobotanical survey was conducted in Emdjez Edchich, Dakkich Rabeh, Sefisfa and Ali Hzila Ramdan of central Russikada province in northeastern Algeria to document the traditional knowledge on medicinal plants used by local populations. Data were analyzed using quantitative indices of sociodemographic data, fidelity level (FL), informant consensus factor (ICF) and use value (UV). A total of 280 participants were interviewed, most of whom were women between the ages of 20 and 40, with a medium level of education. The floristic analysis identified 73 taxa belonging to 43 botanical families, dominated by Lamiaceae and Apiaceae. Gastro-intestinal disease was the most treated and leaves were the most often used in traditional remedies prepared as tea infusions. The highest UV was observed for lentisk (Pistacia lentiscus, UV = 3.4); the highest value for FL was for 54 taxa, of which, 16 were used to treat gastro-intestinal diseases. The calculated ICF showed auditory infections, antiseptics, ocular infections, and neurological disease treatments. Thirty-five new species with 67 new therapeutic uses were identified.