Medicinal plants used in the traditional treatment of diabetes in Ksar Elkebir Region (North-Western Morocco).

Introduction: the number of people with diabetes continues to increase worldwide. In Morocco, two million adults are estimated to be diabetic in 2018. The Moroccan population is known for the use of medicinal plants and natural recipes for the treatment of chronic diseases including diabetes. The present study aimed to make an inventory of plant species used in folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes mellitus by diabetic patients in Ksar Elkebir City (North-west, Morocco).

Methods: an ethnobotanical study was carried out among 250 diabetic patients by means of a semi-structured questionnaire by direct interviews.

Results: a total of 29 species of plants belonging to 23 families were identified. The most represented families were Lamiaceae, Apiaceae, Asteraceae, fabaceae, and Lauraceae. While the most frequently cited plant species were Olea europaea l, Trigonella foenum graecum l, Origanum compactum benth l and salvia officinalis l. Leaves were the most used part of plants and the decoction was the most cited mode of preparation used by the population included in the study.

Conclusion: people with diabetes in Ksar Elkebir Region use a variety of herbal remedies in several ways to treat diabetes. This result can be an important database for the following studies to confirm the efficiency of these plants in vitro and in vivo.