© 2018 Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmacognosy Research, 6 (5), 358-373, 2018 ISSN 0719-4250 http://jppres.com/jppres Original Article | Artículo Original Therapeutic use of spontaneous medicinal flora from an extreme environment (dune cordon) in Djelfa region, Algeria [Uso terapéutico de la flora medicinal espontánea de un entorno extremo (cordón dunar) en la región de Djelfa, Argelia] Benalia Yabrir1*, Mostefa Touati1, Benzian Adli1, Elhadi Bezini1, Mounir Ghafoul1, Saoussane Khalifa2, Brahim Guit1 1Faculty of Nature Sciences and Life, University of Djelfa, 17000 Djelfa, Algeria. 2Faculty of Nature Sciences and Life, University of Bordj-Bou Arréridj, 34000 Bordj-Bou Arréridj, Algeria. *E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected] Abstract Resumen Context: In some extreme environments such as dune cordon in the Contexto: En algunos entornos extremos, como el cordón de dunas en la region of Djelfa, the ability of species to adapt to extreme conditions, región de Djelfa, la capacidad de las especies para adaptarse a especially climatic stresses, appears to be highly developed. condiciones extremas, especialmente las tensiones climáticas, parece Notwithstanding this importance from an ecophysiological point of estar muy desarrollada. A pesar de esta importancia desde un punto de view, the plant genetic resources of the Algerian steppe are very little vista ecofisiológico, los recursos fitogenéticos de la estepa argelina son known and especially poorly valued. muy poco conocidos y especialmente poco valorados. Aims: To inventorying the spontaneous species in an extreme "dune Objetivos: Hacer un inventario de las especies espontáneas en un entorno cordon" environment of the Algerian steppe and to collect information extremo del "cordón dunar" de la estepa argelina y recopilar on the ancestral know-how of the local populations in terms of información sobre los conocimientos ancestrales de las poblaciones therapeutic use of these species. locales en términos del uso terapéutico de estas especies. Methods: Foremost, a herbarium has been made which includes all Métodos: En primer lugar, se ha hecho un herbario que incluye todas las species inventoried in dune cordon, then an ethnobotanical survey especies inventariadas en el cordón dunar, luego se realizó una encuesta materialized by a direct questionnaire was conducted with different etnobotánica materializada mediante un cuestionario directo con actors involved in the field of medicinal plants. It concerns the diferentes actores involucrados en el campo de las plantas medicinales. traditional use of these species. Se declarael uso tradicional de estas especies. Results: Seventeen plants (20%) of the listed plant species have been Resultados: Diecisiete plantas (20%) de las especies de plantas listadas recognized and identified as medicinal species. These plants belong to han sido identificadas e identificadas como especies medicinales. Estas 13 families of which the Lamiaceae family is the most represented, plantas pertenecen a 13 familias de las cuales Lamiaceae es la más followed by Asteraceae and Poaceae. Several diseases are treated by these representada, seguida por Asteraceae y Poaceae. Estas especies son species by local populations, some have a definite therapeutic use while utilizadas por poblaciones locales en el tratamiento de varias others are used in the treatment of several diseases. The most enfermedades como reumatismo, diabetes, dolor dental, fiebre y función incriminated pathologies concern rheumatism, diabetes, dental pain, renal. Las hojas son las partes más utilizadas y la decocción como el fever and renal function. Leaves are most used with decoction as the modo de preparación más utilizado. most used mode. Conclusiones: Los resultados del estudio mostraron que el cordón dunar Conclusions: Results of the study showed that dune cordon contains a contiene una amplia variedad de plantas espontáneas que tienen un wide variety of spontaneous plants, which have a beneficial interest. It interés beneficioso. También indicó el vínculo entre los recursos also indicated the link between natural resources and humans and the naturales y los humanos y el uso terapéutico de estas especies para therapeutic use of these species for profit by local population. The rich beneficio de la población local. El rico conocimiento etno-farmacológico ethno-pharmacological knowledge of this population must be preserved de esta población debe ser preservado y valorado. Se necesita de and valued. A phytochemical screening and biological investigation are investigaciones fitoquímica y biológica para probar este conocimiento needed to test this ancestral know-how. ancestral. Keywords: Algerian steppe; ancestral know-how; ethnobotany survey; Palabras Clave: conocimiento ancestral; encuesta etnobotánica; estepa remedy. argelina; remedio. ARTICLE INFO Received: February 20, 2018. Received in revised form: June 28, 2018. Accepted: July 9, 2018. Available Online: July 24, 2018. Declaration of interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest. Funding: This study was supported by the Algerian Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (Project CNEPRU code D04N01UN170120150002). _____________________________________ Yabrir et al. Therapeutic use of medicinal flora from dune cordon, Algeria INTRODUCTION threatened by human uses and practices (Snoussi et al., 2003). Synthetic products widely used, both in medi- cation and in the food industry, currently raise Although the region is mainly pastoral, the an- several questions as to their efficiency and safety. cestral knowledge of local populations attests to The return to nature is necessary then. Thus, me- the importance and efficiency of use of local plant dicinal plants are starting to gain interest as a po- genetic resources for various purposes (food, con- tential source of bioactive natural molecules. They diments, aromatics, medicinal, among others). are being studied for their possible use as an alter- Therefore, the know-how of local population, will native for the treatment of several diseases. In ad- be considered as a starter for the pharmacological dition, the search for plants of therapeutic interest and phytochemical investigation of medicinal is seen to take several general paths, among others plants. Thus, the best use of a plant would be one the empirical method (use of plants in folk medi- that preserves all its properties while allowing the cine, observation of certain ancestral practices) extraction and assimilation of active ingredients (Paris and Hurabielle, 1981). So, ethnobotany is (Dextreit, 1984) based on fundamental knowledge of plants and Several ethnobotanical studies were carried out human societies (Mousnier, 2013). according to various aims, some of them targeting The medicinal and aromatic plants that are the a specific pathology treated by the medicinal vectors of these substances are widespread in na- plants of the study area (El Rhaffari et al., 2002), ture. Algeria, with its different bioclimatic stages others aimed at the inventory and therapeutic use and the nature of its soils, shelters a whole range of medicinal plants by indigenous populations in of natural species with a large and varied phyto- the investigation areas (Salhi et al., 2010; genetic range and thus testifies to an undeniable Benkhnigue et al., 2011; Tahri et al., 2012; Daoudi floristic richness. The Algerian flora contains many et al., 2015; El Yahyaoui et al., 2015; Béné et al., economically important species. It has more than 2016; Mikou et al., 2016; Rhattas et al., 2016; Slima- 1000 species, subspecies and varieties with medic- ni et al., 2016). The Algerian pharmacopoeia is no inal properties (Chenouf, 2009). Among the Alge- exception to this rule (Maiza et al., 1993; Ham- rian geographical areas, the Algerian steppe is of miche and Maiza, 2006; Bouallala et al., 2014; Sarri particular importance both ecologically and eco- et al., 2014). To our knowledge no ethnobotanical nomically. Enjoying its privileged geographical study on the use of spontaneous plants of the dune position and immense space (9% of the total area cord in traditional therapy has been conducted of the country), it is characterized by an apprecia- before. In this sense, this work is part of a re- ble biological diversity. This is the result of an age- search-valorization and the objectives are to make old adaptation to particularly difficult agro- an inventory of the spontaneous species that shel- climatic conditions (Chenouf, 2009) especially in ters the dune environment of the Algerian steppe some extreme environments such as sebkhas and and then collect information on the know-how an- the dune cordon. cestral populations of local populations in the use of plant species of the region in the treatment of In these areas, the ability of species and genes various pathologies. to adapt to extreme conditions, especially climatic stresses, appears to be highly developed (Mélanie MATERIAL AND METHODS and Marc, 2002). Notwithstanding this importance Study area from an eco-physiological point of view, the plant genetic resources of the Algerian steppe are very The study area is located in the dune cordon at little known and especially poorly valued, if not 270 kilometers south of the capital Algiers at a place called El-Mesrane (region of Djelfa) whose http://jppres.com/jppres J Pharm Pharmacogn Res (2018) 6(5): 359 Yabrir et al. Therapeutic use of medicinal flora from dune cordon, Algeria geographical coordinates are Longitude: 3° 03’ E. surveys (position