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Biosci. 2019 International Journal of Biosciences | IJB | ISSN: 2220-6655 (Print), 2222-5234 (Online) http://www.innspub.net Vol. 15, No. 1, p. 185-197, 2019 RESEARCH PAPER OPEN ACCESS Ethno-medicinal study of spontaneous plants used in Chaiba and El Hadjeb villages (Biskra region), Southern Algeria Somia Saad1*, Hanane BenZetta2, Nadjette Djemouai1,3,4, Hafida Belkharchouche5, Saida Ouafi1 1Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Zones Arides (LRZA), Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene (USTHB), BP32 El-Alia, 16111 Bab Ezzouar, Alger, Algérie 2Laboratoire Biologie de Sol (LBPO), Faculté des Sciences Biologiques, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie Houari Boumediene (USTHB), BP32 El-Alia, 16111 Bab Ezzouar, Alger, Algérie 3Laboratoire de Biologie des Systèmes Microbiens (LBSM), Ecole Normale Supérieure de Kouba, B.P. 92, 16 050 Kouba, Alger, Algérie 4Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences de la Nature et de la Vie et Sciences de la Terre, Université de Ghardaïa, BP 455, Ghardaïa 47000, Algérie 5Département de Biologie, Faculté des sciences exactes, des sciences de la nature et de la vie, Université Mohamed Khider, Biskra, BP 145 RP, Biskra 07000, Algérie Key words: Ethno-medicinal, Spontaneous plants, Biskra region, Factor informant consensus. http://dx.doi.org/10.12692/ijb/15.1.185-197 Article published on July 06, 2019 Abstract Biskra region has long been inhabited by people who have a long tradition of using medicinal plants in the treatment of many ailments. In this context, the aim of this work is to document the ethno-medicinal uses of spontaneous plants in two selected villages (Chaiba and El Hadjeb) of South Algeria. This study was conducted in 2011 using semi-structured questionnaire and distributed to 70 residents selected at random in the studied areas. Data collected were quantitatively analyzed by calculating the factor informant consensus (Fic) and citation frequency (Cf). A total of 44 spontaneous plant species belonging to 24 families and 43 genera were documented which were used for treating more than 14 ailments category. Asteraceae and Lamiaceae were the most abundant families (7 species each). Among the identified species, herbs constituted 72.72%, shrubs 20.45% and tress 6.81%. Leaves were found to be the most frequently utilized plant part (25.71%), and most remedies were prepared as a decoction form (34.33%). The Fic value ranged from 0.56 to 1 and the highest Fic value was found in eye and liver diseases. Cf values ranged from 8.71 to 92.85% and the highly cited species was Artemisia herba-alba Asso. These results constitute a source of very precious information for the studied region and for the Algerian flora subsequent researches in phytochemistry and pharmacology in order to search for new bioactive molecules. * Corresponding Author: Somia Saad [email protected] 185 Saad et al. Int. J. Biosci. 2019 Introduction significant number of spontaneous species have Traditional medicine is a combination of knowledge, potential value in terms of medicine. These medicinal skill and practice based on the theories, beliefs and plants are valuable resources for the vast majority of experiences indigenous to different cultures used in rural populations in Africa, where more than 80% of diagnosing, preventing and eliminating a physical, the population use them to provide health care mental or social disease. It may rely exclusively on (Diallo, 2005). past experience and observation handed down from generation to generation verbally or in writing. It is Algeria by its climate (Mediterranean, semi-arid and also known as herbalism, the ancient method of arid climate) and the nature of the soil, has a flora curing disease through the use of plants (Babawale et particularly rich in medicinal and aromatic plants, al., 2016). most of which exist in a spontaneous state (Azzi et al., 2012). Even though, it is one of the richest Arab Ethnobotany is a biological, economic and cultural countries with 3164 plant species, a few inter-relationship study between people and plants of ethnobotanical studies have been carried out in this an area in which they exist (Parada et al., 2009). country and as a result the Algerian medicinal flora is Ethnobotanical studies are a way to access to almost unknown (Vasisht and Kumar, 2004; traditional knowledge about plants with therapeutic Boudjelal et al., 2013; Ramdane et al., 2015). potential by contributing to plant biodiversity knowledge on one hand and take this knowledge for However, in different parts of Algeria, local further social and scientific interventions on the other population has a rich indigenous knowledge which is hand (Ibrar et al., 2007). Preservation of this not always adequately documented and practiced only information can be a valuable policy for good usage of in a fragmentary and empirical way (Benhammou et natural sources and investigation in this field al., 2009; Reguieg, 2011; Chermat and Gharzouli, (Mohamadi et al., 2015). In these modern days and 2015). It should be noted that some medicinal plants where the use of medicinal plants is gaining more are being seriously depleted due to over-exploitation recognition, ethnobotanical researches are recognized which can lead to the disappearance of the most as the most viable method of identifying new vulnerable species. So, it will be urgent and essential medicinal plants or refocusing on those earlier to adopt a sustainable management strategy to avoid reported bioactive constituents (Ekor, 2014). the degradation of biodiversity of the flora (Bouasla Currently, 25% of herbal drugs in modern and Bouasla, 2017). Therefore, the present study was pharmacopeia are plants based and several synthetic conducted to assess and document the knowledge of drugs are manufactured by using chemical substances medicinal plants use in Biskra district particularly in isolated from plants (Umair et al., 2017). Chaiba and El Hadjeb villages. The use of plant species as traditional medicines Materials and methods provides a real substitute in healthcare services for Study area rural communities of the developing nations (Hayta This research was conducted to document the et al., 2014). Particularly some international traditional knowledge on medicinal plants of Biskra organizations such as the International Union for district (Known also as Ziban region), exactly in two Conservation of Nature (IUCN) that aim, through the localities Chaiba and El Hadjeb. This region is located involvement of local communities, to promote in the Algeria Sahara, the world’s largest non-polar biodiversity conservation and sustainable use of desert that covers 84% of the total Algerian area natural resources in the world and North Africa (2.381.741 km²) (Ozenda, 1991) and it is (Benderradji et al., 2014). In Africa and according to approximately 500 kilometers away from the Algeria United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), a capital (Fig. 1). 186 Saad et al. Int. J. Biosci. 2019 Fig. 1. Map of Biskra province (Algeria) (A), the studied areas are represented in Orange: Chaiba and Green: El Hadjeb (B). The study area occupies a privileged position in the study area. The questionnaires were distributed to south-east of Algeria between 34°52' N, 5°45' E both sexes (males and females) whose ages varied covering an area of 2 167.20 km2. It is delimited in between 20 and over 90 years old. The questionnaires North by Batna, in the East by Khenchela, in the were composed of questions related to socio- North West by M’sila, in the West by Djelfa, in South demographic characteristics of participants (gender, East by El Oued and in the South by Ouargla. Major age, education, etc.) and also the medicinal plants activities of the local people of these two villages used, their common names, their medicinal depend on essentially agriculture and grazing among characteristics, the used parts, their method of other activities. The climate of the investigated area is preparation (decoction, infusion,…etc.), the usage subject to a dry Saharan type, the summer is hot and period and their side effects. The informants were dry while the winter is cold with low and irregular interviewed in their local Arabic language. rain with 120 to 150 mm rainfall per year and with an average annual temperature of 24.4°C (ANDI, 2013). Herbarium specimen preparation and identification According to the data of National Agency for Plant species were collected from Chaiba (34° 50′ 27″ Territorial Development (ANAT, 2003), Biskra N and 4° 55′ 20″ E) and El Hadjeb (34° 47′ 25″ N and contains calcium-magnesium soils with a well- 5° 35′ 49″ E) villages. These plants were dried and developed structure. Most of the territory landscape voucher specimens for each species have been consists of natural steppe formations and oases. processed using standard herbarium techniques. Data collection These specimens were identified by consulting the To improve our knowledge on the usage of medicinal floras of Quezel and Santa (1963) and Ozenda (1991), plants, an ethnobotanical study was conducted during verified, characterized and confirmed by the scientific the year of 2011. The method used is based on surveys and technical research center on the arid region and through semi-structured questionnaires prepared and preserved for identification. Plant specimens are distributed to the residents selected at random of the deposited at biology department of Biskra University. 187 Saad et al. Int. J. Biosci. 2019 Table 1. List of spontaneous medicinal plants species and their traditional use data in Chaiba and El Hadjeb (a, b represent the usage of medicinal plants in each village respectively). Scientific name Local name Part used Treatment Mode of preparation Cf (%) Family Anvillea radiata Coss. & Durieu Nougd Aerial partsa and Diabetica, liver diseasesb, Decoctionb and infusiona 21.42% leavesb anti-hypertensivea and painb Artemisia herba-alba Asso Chih Aerial partsb , Antipyreticb, diabetesb,a and Decoctionb, powdera, 92.85% leavesa and stemsa relief from intestinal gas b,a tisaneb and fumigationa ae Chrysanthemum fuscatum L.