Ethnobotanical Uses and Distribution Status of Arbutus Unedo in Morocco Faida Rahima, Aabdousse Jamal, Boulli Abdelali, Bouda Said, Wahid Nadya
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Ethnobotanical uses and distribution status of Arbutus unedo in Morocco Faida Rahima, Aabdousse Jamal, Boulli Abdelali, Bouda Said, Wahid Nadya Databases and Inventories Résumé Contexte: L’arbousier est un arbre fruitier à haute Abstract valeur, environnementale, économique et médicale, Background: Arbutus is a fruit tree with high en raison de ces propriétés attribuées aux ornamental, environmental, economic and medical différentes parties biologiques. Compte tenu de cet value, because of the properties attributed to intérêt, la présente étude s'intéresse à la description different biological parts. Given this interest, the de la répartition, écologie et du statut present study is interested in describing the ethnobotanique des populations naturelles de cette distribution, ecology and ethnobotanical status of espèce. natural populations. Méthodes: L'aire de répartition de cette espèce a été Methods: The range of this species has been largely largement prospectée et explorée afin de localiser prospected and explored to locate their natural ses populations naturelles et de décrire leur populations and describe their distribution and répartition et leur conservation. Pour les utilisations conservation. For ethnobotanical uses of Arbutus in ethnobotaniques d’Arbutus au Maroc, nous avons Morocco, we compiled available data from literature. rassemblé les données disponibles provenant de la littérature. Results: The prospection of the Arbutus natural distribution areas in Morocco has shown that the Correspondence species is growing in different biogeographical regions. Moreover, of its ecological plasticity and Faida Rahima1,2, Aabdousse Jamal 1, Boulli phyto-association, its resistance to mutilations and Abdelali1, Bouda Said2, Wahid Nadya1* its great dynamism, it is very present in the everyday uses of foresters, farmers and rural populations. The 1Team of Ecology and Sustainable Development, international bibliographic analysis shows that the Department of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and different biological parts of Arbutus, especially fruits, Technology, Sultan Moulay Slimane University, BP have been widely used by herbalists. The related 523, 23000 Béni Mellal, Morocco 2 Laboratory of Biotechnology an and Valorization of literature is generally in line with the medicinal use of Natural plant genetic Resources, Department of Life the plant by Moroccan inhabitants. On the other Sciences, Faculty of Science and Technology, hand, the consumption and the industrial valorization Sultan Moulay Slimane University, BP 523, 23000 of the fruits of Arbutus are very limited in Morocco in Béni Mellal, Morocco comparison with those on the international scale. *Corresponding author: email:[email protected] or Conclusions: It is imperative to sensitize the local [email protected] population and landlocked Douars on the knowledge Ethnobotany Research & Applications of the valorization of the fruit of this species, and how 18:30 (2019) to develop the marketing, the conservation and the transformation of fruits and by-products, and the Résultats: La prospection des zones de distribution production of new medicines and wellness products. naturelle d'Arbutus au Maroc a montré que l'espèce se développe dans différentes régions Key words: Arbutus unedo L., ethnobotanical uses, biogéographiques. De plus, de par sa plasticité prospection, ecology, Arbutus fruit. écologique et sa phyto-association, sa résistance Published: 22 October 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.18.30.1-12 Ethnobotany Research and Applications 2 aux mutilations et son grand dynamisme, il est très the Arbutus tree of great ecological and ornamental présent dans les utilisations quotidiennes des importance. Also, the Arbutus plant is now forestiers, des agriculteurs et des populations considered a source of therapeutic agents in rurales. L'analyse bibliographique internationale medicine (Pawlowska et al. 2006, Silva-E-Alarcão et montre que les différentes parties biologiques al. 2001). These properties come mainly from its d'Arbutus, notamment les fruits, ont été largement chemical composition rich in secondary compounds utilisées par les herboristes. La littérature connexe with antioxidant properties, namely: phenols, est généralement en ligne avec l'utilisation vitamins C and E, carotenoids and organic acids médicinale de la plante par les habitants marocains. (Fiorentino et al. 2007, Kivçak et al. 2001, Males et En revanche, la consommation et la valorisation al. 2006, Pallauf et al. 2008). Arbutus leaves are industrielle des fruits d'Arbutus sont très limitées au used for their antioxidant, astringent, diuretic, anti- Maroc par rapport à celles à l'échelle internationale. diarrheal, depurative and more recently used in the treatment of diseases such as hypertension, Conclusions: Il est impératif de sensibiliser la diabetes and inflammatory problems (Mariotto et al. population locale et les Douars à la connaissance de 2008, Oliveira et al. 2009, Ziyyat & Boussairi 1998). la valorisation du fruit de cette espèce et de la In addition to its use in traditional medicine, the fruit manière de développer la commercialisation, la of the Arbutus tree is highly sought after for its conservation et la transformation des fruits et des nutritional qualities. It is used for the consumption produits dérivés. and production of alcoholic beverages, jams, jellies and marmalades (Pawlowska et al. 2006, Simonetti Mots clés: Arbutus unedo L., usages et al. 2008). Many epidemiological studies have ethnobotaniques, prospection, écologie, fruit noted that high fruit and vegetable consumption is d’arbousier. associated with reduced disease risk (Boubekri 2014, Oliveira et al. 2011). Arbutus berries contain Background significant amounts of phytochemical compounds, The Arbutus (Arbutus unedo L.) is a fruit tree including polyphenols and oligo-minerals, which are belonging to the family Ericaceae and often called micronutrients that are particularly abundant in fruits strawberry tree. It is found in western, central and (Ayaz et al. 2000, Fortalezas et al. 2010, Pallauf et southern Europe, northeastern Africa, the Canary al. 2008). These secondary metabolites are involved Islands and western Asia. It can also be found in many aspects of plant biological systems: distributed in countries in North America, and on the pigmentation, growth and reproduction mechanisms, Atlantic coast such as Ireland and Macaronesia protection against predators, etc. (Fortalezas et al. (Canary Islands) (Abbas 2015, Celikel et al. 2008, 2010, Oliveira et al. 2011, Abbas 2015). Rodriguez 2011). In the Mediterranean, it is present In Morocco, the Arbutus unedo L. remains poorly in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Morocco, Albania, studied and known from the point of view of Croatia, Bosnia, Montenegro, Grec, Turkey and the nutritional and therapeutic uses in medicine Mediterranean islands (Pedro 1994, Rodriguez (Bellakhdar 1997, Meziane 2003, Sijelmassi 1993, 2011, Torres et al. 2002). It's a tree that grows in Ziyyat & Boussairi 1998). Several scientific studies at acidic and calcareous soils and can reach up to 12 the Mediterranean scale have demonstrated the meters and can grow in rocky areas (Krussmann great nutritional value of Arbutus, thanks to its 1982, Rodriga de Sà 2010). As a Mediterranean composition in certain nutrients (carbohydrates, plant, it has the ability to regenerate after forest fires vitamins and minerals) and phytonutrients (Konstantinidis et al. 2006). Generally, it has a height (polyphenols). Although the value of uses of this growth of shrubs ranging from about 5 meters to 12 species in other Mediterranean countries, it remains meters, with branches that grow from the chest from very limited and undiversified in Morocco (Abbas 0.5 meters above the ground (Rodriga de Sà 2010, 2015). The cultivation of this species is restricted as Seidemann 1995). Also known as the persistent leaf it is not consumed widely but except local population plant, the Arbutus canopy is rounded with elliptically living close to the forests and they are either socially shaped persistent leaves that assume a dark green or economically backward. The exploitation of this color similar to that of cork, with a waxy glow on the species remains traditional (Jaradat 1995). Their upper surface. The flowers of this tree, white or loss, due to over-exploitation, could jeopardize the slightly pink, are very decorative which makes it socio-economic development of present and future ornamental. Flowers are still considered to be of generations. Therefore, the conservation, great importance to the ecosystem because they are preservation and sustainable use of these resources a source of nectar for bees (Floris et al. 1992, Soro remain necessary. Thus, the high sustainable & Paxton 1999). All these biological properties make production in this species can contribute to reinforce its consumption as an alternative to the fruits Published: 22 October 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.32859/era.18.30.1-12 Ethnobotany Research and Applications 3 available on the market or a source of bioactive practice during the survey, we conducted interviews compounds for food supplements necessary with the local population of the regions visited on the (Aparicio et al. 2008, Gomes & Canhoto 2009). Any vernacular name, the parts used (leaves, fruit, root, wise program of production, breeding, and bark), the method of preparation and the therapeutic conservation should be based on reliable information uses practiced. about the geographical and ecological distribution,