Ethnomedicinal survey of anti-urolithiatic medicinal plants used in the region of Mascara, Algeria

Abstract

Objective: To conduct an ethnomedicinal survey and conserve traditional medicinal practices in the Mascara region of northwestern Algeria. In this region, traditional medicinal knowledge has primarily been transmitted orally, and the study aims to document it in written form for better utilization in the field of pharmacology.
Methods: Purposive sampling with semi-structured questionnaires was adopted with ethnobotanical data obtained from 135 local informants, including 22 herbalists. The study participants were asked about their sociodemographic profiles and ethnomedicinal knowledge about anti-urolithiatic medicinal plants.
Results: Sixty-three anti-urolithiatic species belonging to 59 genera and 32 families were inventoried. All plants are prescribed orally, and decoction presents the most common preparation method (46.0%). Seeds are the most used parts (27.0%). The most frequent botanical families were Apiaceae, Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, and Rosaceae. The predominant anti-urolithiatic plants are Herniaria hirsute L., Hordeum vulgare L., Linum usitatissimum L., Zea mays L., Lavandula angustifolia Mill., and Apium graveolens L.
Conclusions: This study highlights the diversity of the phytotherapeutic practices used against urolithiasis in the region of Mascara. It also suggests that ethnomedicine is well-entrenched in local health practices in this area. However, this knowledge acquired by the local inhabitants over the centuries risks disappearing since it is mainly held by older people and is not documented.

Keywords

Ethnomedicinal survey / Mascara / Algeria / Anti-urolithiasic plants

Conflict of interest statement

The authors claim there is no conflict of interest.

Funding

This study receives no extramural funding.

Data availability statement

The data supporting the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.

Authors’ contributions

Lakhdar Toumi S conceptualized and designed the study, analyzed data, and interpreted findings. She also wrote and revised the manuscript. Moulei Ali B conducted field interviews and transcribed the data. The authors approved the final draft.

References

[1] Daudon M, Traxer O, Lechevallier E, Saussine C. La lithogenèse. Prog Urol 2008; 18(12): 815-827.

[2] Daudon M, Traxer O, Lechevallier E, Saussine C. Épidémiologie des lithiases urinaires. Prog Urol 2008; 18(12): 802-814.

[3] Tiselius HG. Epidemiology and medical management of stone disease. BJU Int 2003; 91(8): 758-767.

[4] Hollingsworth JM, Rogers MA, Kaufman SR, Bradford TJ, Saint S, Wei JT, et al. Medical therapy to facilitate urinary stone passage: A meta-analysis. Lancet 2006; 368(9542): 1171-1179.

[5] Labrecque M, Dostaler LP, Rousselle R, Nguyen T, Poirier S. Efficacy of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs in the treatment of acute renal colic. Arch Intern Med 1994; 154(12): 1381-1387.

[6] Shafi H, Moazzami B, Pourghasem M, Kasaeian A. An overview of treatment options for urinary stones. Caspian J Intern Med 2016; 7(1): 1-6.

[7] Chandhoke P. When is medical prophylaxis cost-effective for recurrent calcium stones? J Urol 2002; 168(3): 937-940.

[8] World Health Organization. WHO Global Report on Traditional and Complementary Medicine 2019. [Online] Available from: https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/312342. [Accessed on 12 March 2023].

[9] Bouasla A, Bouasla I. Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants in northeastern of Algeria. Phytomedicine 2017; 36: 68-81.

[10] Boudjelal A, Henchiri C, Sari M, Sarri D, Hendel N, Benkhaled A, et al. Herbalists and wild medicinal plants in M’Sila (North Algeria): An ethnopharmacology survey. J Ethnopharmacol 2013; 148: 395-402.

[11] Miara MD, Bendif H, Ait Hammou M, Teixidor-Toneu I. Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used by nomadic peoples in the Algerian steppe. J Ethnopharmacol 2018; 219: 248-56.

[12] Rebbas K, Bounar R, Gharzouli R, Ramdani M, Djellouli Y, Alatou D. Plantes d’intérêt médicinale et écologique dans la région d’Ouanougha (M’sila, Algérie). Phytothérapie 2012; 10(2): 131-142.

[13] Yasser K, Abdallah M, Abdelmadjid B. Étude ethnobotanique de quelques plantes médicinales dans une région hyper aride du Sud-ouest Algérien “Cas du Touat dans la wilaya d’Adrar”. J Anim Plant Sci 2018; 36(2): 5844-5857.

[14] Albuquerque UP, Lucena RFP, Cunha LVFC, Alve RRN. Methods and techniques in ethnobiology and ethnoecology. Springer Protocols Handbooks. New York: Humana Press; 2014.

[15] Martin GJ. Ethnobotany: a methods manual, vol 1. London: Chapman & Hall; 1995.

[16] Quézel P, Santa S. Nouvelle flore de l’Algérie et des régions désertiques méridionales. Paris: CNRS; 1962.

[17] Baba Aïssa F. Les plantes médicinales en Algérie. Algérie: Bouchéne; 1990.

[18] The Plant List. A working list of all known plant species. [Online] Available from: http://www.theplantlist.org/. [Accessed on 12 March 2023]

[19] Tardío J, Pardo-De-Santayana M. Cultural importance indices: A comparative analysis based on the useful wild plants of southern Cantabria (northern Spain). Econ Bot 2008; 62(1): 24-39.

[20] Trotter RT, Logan MH. Informant consensus: A new approach for identifying potentially effective medicinal plants. In: Etkin NL (Ed.). Bedford Hill, New York: Redgrave Publishing Company; 1986.

[21] Noman A, Hussain I, Ali Q, Ashraf MA, Haider MZ. Ethnobotanical studies of potential wild medicinal plants of Ormara. Emir J Food Agric 2013; 25(10): 751-759.

[22] Eddouks M, Ajebli M, Hebi M : Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plants used in Daraa-Tafilalet region (Province of Errachidia), Morocco. J Ethnopharmacol 2017; 198: 516-530.

[23] Ahmad Jan H, Jan S, Ahmad N, Aysha M. Ethno-medicinal survey of indigenous medicinal plants used by the local population of Goleen Valley, Chitral, Pakistan. SM J Med Plants Stud 2017; 1(1): 1-8.

[24] Bachar M, Zidane L, Rochdi A. Plantes médicinales et phytothérapie traditionnelle utilisées au niveau du Parc naturel régional de Bouhachem “Rif du Maroc” - cas de la commune rurale de Tazroute. J Mater Environ Sci 2016; 7(11): 4175-4204.

[25] Benítez G, González-Tejero MR, Molero-Mesa J. Pharmaceutical ethnobotany in the western part of Granada province (southern Spain): Ethnopharmacological synthesis. J Ethnopharmacol. 2010; 129: 87-105.

[26] Gnagne AS, Camara D, Fofie NBY, Bene K, Zirihi GN : Étude ethnobotanique des plantes médicinales utilisées dans le traitement du diabète dans le Département de Zouénoula (Côte d’Ivoire). J Appl Biosci 2017; 113: 11257-11266.

[27] Ghourri M, Zidane L. Catalogue des plantes médicinales utilisées dans le traitement de la lithiase rénale dans la province de Tan-Tan (Maroc saharien). Int J Biol Chem Sci 2013; 7(4): 1688-1700.

[28] Idm’hand E, Msanda F, Cherifi K. Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in treatment of kidney stones in Tarfaya province (Morocco). Int J Innov Appl Stud 2019; 26(3): 711-719.

[29] Ammor K, Mahjoubi F, Bousta D, Chaqroune A. Ethnobotanical survey of medicinal plants used in the treatment of kidney stones in region of Fez-Meknes, Morocco. Ethnobot Res Applicat 2020; 19(50): 1-12.

[30] Abbasi N, Rafieian-Kopaei M, Karami N, Abbaszadeh S, Bahmani M. Medicinal plants for treatment kidney stones, an ethnobotany study in Shahrekord. Egypt J Vet Sci 2019; 50(2); 145-149.

[31] Dobignard A, Chatelain C. Index synonymique et bibliographique de la flore d’Afrique du Nord. Volume: 5 (Eds.) Genève: CJB; 2013.

[32] Atmani F, Khan SR. Effects of an extract from Herniaria hirsuta on calcium oxalate crystallization in vitro . BJU Int 2000; 85: 621-625.

[33] Atmani F, Slimani Y, Mimouni M, Aziz M, Hacht B, Ziyyat A. Effect of aqueous extract from Herniaria hirsuta L. on experimentally nephrolithiasic rats . J Ethnopharmacol 2004; 95: 87-93.

[34] Shah JG, Patel BG, Patel SB, Patel RK. Anti-urolithiatic and antioxidant activity of Hordeum vulgare seeds on ethylene glycol-induced urolithiasis in rats . Indian J Pharmacol 2012; 44(6): 672-677.

[35] Lakhdar-Toumi S, Bereksi-Reguig K. Étude in vivo des effets anti-lithiasiques et diurétiques de la décoction de deux céréales: Hordeum vulgare et Avena sativa . Phytotherapie 2016; 14(5), 304-308.

[36] Grases F, March JG, Ramis M, Costa‐Bauzá A. The influence of Zea mays on urinary risk factors for kidney stones in rats . Phytother Res 1993; 7(2): 146-149.

[37] Prachi, Chauhan N, Kumar D, Kasana MS. Medicinal plants of Muzaffarnagar district used in treatment of urinary tract and kidney stones. IJTK 2009; 8(2): 191-195.

[38] Khouchlaa A, Tijane M, Chebat A, Hseini S, Kahouadji A. Ethnopharmacology study of medicinal plants used in the treatment of urolithiasis (Morocco). Phytotherapie 2017; 15(5): 274-287.