An ethnobotanical survey of spontaneous plants used in traditional medicine in the region of Aures, Algeria

Abstract

This study carried out in the Aures region (Algeria) between September 2018 and March 2019, allowed us to identify spontaneous plants used in the region and gather all the information concerning the therapeutic practices of the local population. Based on a series of ethnobotanical surveys, we have identified 112 medicinal species belonging to 49 families, of which Asteraceae, Poaceae, Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Amaranthaceae and Cupressaceae are the most represented. The leaves were the most used plant parts (28.86%), and the decoction (37.68%) represents the most frequently used mode of preparation. In addition, the remedies were prepared essentially from single species (81.15%) and were used mainly in the treatment of digestive disorders (23.99%). The study has also shown that women, married people, the elderly and illiterates people had the better knowledge of the use of medicinal plants. These results indicate that local population has a fairly deep empirical and traditional knowledge of phytotherapy. However, this knowledge is endangered mainly because of the mode of transmission which is based on oral tradition and an urgent transcription is needed to avoid the loss of this heritage.