An ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used for diabetes treatment in Rabat, Morocco

Diabetes mellitus is a major public health problem in Morocco. The value of ethnobotanical information is now increasingly acknowledged. To inventory and to provide ethnobotanical information on some of the medicinal plants used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes in Rabat (Morocco), a survey was undertaken from March 1ˢᵗ to April 30ᵗʰ 2018. This survey was conducted using a semi-structured questionnaire targeting diabetic patients from the SOS Diabetes Center. 334 diabetic patients were interviewed. Of this group, 53.6% (34 men and 145 women) use medicinal plants to control their diabetes. 47.2% have type 2 diabetes and 52.5% have type 1diabetes. Thirty plant species belonging to 18 botanical families were recorded for the treatment of diabetes. The most represented families were Lamiaceae with 8 species followed by Fabaceae with 3 species. Based on the highest number of users, the most important species were Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (15.4%), Salvia officinalis L. (13.3%) and Olea europaea L. (10.8%). Leaves (47.5%), seeds (20.2%) and stem (17.6%) were the parts predominantly used to prepare the formulations, which were mainly infusions (50.9%), administrated by the oral route (98.9%). Some plants were used only by type 1 diabetics while others were used by type 2 diabetics. The observed adverse events related to the use of medicinal plants were represented by occasional heartburn in 2.2% of diabetic patients. This study is the first to collect and document information on medicinal plants and how they are used by diabetic patients. Calamintha alpina L. is reported for the first time at the international level as used in traditional treatment of diabetes and seven others were reported as new medicinal plants used to treat diabetes in Morocco. This will extend the list of plants already mentioned as used for diabetes. Further research should be carried out to validate the antidiabetic uses of most of these plant species.