Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6, 5800-5824 2024 Publisher: Learning Gate DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate * Correspondence: abdelmajid.khabbach@usmba.ac.ma The modalities of use of medicinal flora in the province of Taza (Northern Morocco): Via an ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological survey Faiza El Hajli1,2, Said Chakir1, Issam Ghabbour3, Said Bouhraoua3, Mohamed Reda Kachmar1, Abdelmajid Khabbach4*, Khalil Hammani3, Ghizlane Echchgadda2 1Valorization of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants and Environment, Faculty of Sciences, Moulay Ismail University, Zitoune, Meknes, Morocco. 2Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection and Environment, National School of Agriculture of Meknes, BP S 40, Meknes, Morocco. 3Laboratory of Natural Resources and Environment, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University of Fez, B.P. 1223 Taza-Gare, Taza, Morocco. 4Laboratory of Biotechnology, Conservation and Valorisation of Natural Resources (BCVRN), Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, B.P. 1796, Fez 30003, Morocco; abdelmajid.khabbach@usmba.ac.ma (A.K.). Abstract: An ethnobotanical survey was carried out between April 2019 and April 2020 to verify the modalities of use of medicinal flora in the province of Taza. The main objective of this study is to determine the modalities of the use of medicinal flora using a survey questionnaire and quantitative analysis. An updated catalog of plants used in the Taza region will be produced at the end of the analysis. In the population studied, 59% are women and 52% are illiterate. 75 taxa are identified and grouped into 42 families, of which Lamiaceae (FUV=0.083) and Cupressaceae (FUV=0.068) are the most frequent. Criterion of Preparation (CP), Criterion of Part Used (CPU), and Criterion of Administration (CA) were calculated. Leaves are the most used part (60%), and the preparation of remedies is essentially based on decoctions (49%), and administration is mainly done orally (77%). The highest UV value was obtained for Rosmarinus officinalis L. (0.184), and Origanum compactum Benth. (0.184) and Thymus zygis L. (0.177). These same species also present the highest RFC. The highest FL value was obtained for 64 taxa. The highest ICF value was obtained for urinary/urological disorders (0.839) and metabolic diseases (0.831). Seven categories of diseases are treated and PCA analysis showed that PC1 accounted for 80.92% of the total variation while PC2 presented 13.86%, and PC1 is strongly influenced by FC, RFC, UV, and UR, while FL influences PC2. These results are considered to be a very important source of information for the study area and may help to prevent the loss of traditional knowledge on the use of medicinal plants. Keywords: Ethnobotanical indices, Medicinal plants, Morocco, Survey, Taza province. 1. Introduction Many users of medicinal plants are generally unaware of the factors that cause the beneficial effects of traditional remedies [1]. Traditional medicinal knowledge is regularly applied by the local population and is transmitted over time, from generation to generation [2]. On the other hand, according to the World Health Organization, 80% of the world's population turns to medicinal plants to meet their primary health needs [3]. The use of medicinal plants in herbal medicine is experiencing remarkable growth and people are looking for “natural” medicines as a therapeutic method [4]. Plants have been used for centuries to treat human, animal, and plant diseases, as they contain valuable components with healing properties, their therapeutic properties come from multiple active substances called secondary metabolites that accumulate in various organs and some cases in specific plant cells [4]. In the case of aromatic and medicinal plants, the extracted secondary metabolites (phenols, polypeptides, triterpenoids, and alkaloids) are an effective defense against pathogenic parasites [5]. In 5801 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate this sense, plant resources represent an excellent opportunity to discover new chemical entities with a wide range of activities, such as antioxidants and antimicrobials. [6]. Morocco, with its geographical and climatic contrasts, has great vegetation richness. The flora's diversification and richness offer a fertile ground for practicing herbal medicine [7]. Indeed, based on a recent inventory, its flora includes 155 families, 981 genera, 3913 native species, 426 type subspecies (autonymous), and 872 additional subspecies [8]. For this, Moroccan populations have preserved a precious knowledge of traditional medicine [9]. Thus, the province of Taza which is located between the Rif and Middle Atlas mountain ranges, with a climate characterized by dry, overheated summers and cold winters with occasional precipitation and snowfall [10], presents a commendable wealth of scale of the kingdom [7, 9,11, 12,13,14,15, 16,17,18]. A new work has made it possible to construct a checklist of 202 medicinal plants used in the province of Taza [18] where 91 quantified medicinal species treat 14 groups of diseases [7]. Then, a Valorization and quantification of the qualitative knowledge of the new ethnobotanical knowledge characterizing the medicinal flora of the province of Taza (northern Morocco) was carried out [18]. Based on the indices obtained, provincial quantification studies have shown the importance of certain medicinal plants in the treatment of disease [7, 15, 18]. Criteria such as Criterion of Preparation (CP), Criterion of Part Used (CPU), and Criterion of Administration (CA) were calculated to facilitate the quantitative analysis of these qualitative characteristics [18]. To study the features that characterize the vegetation of the Province of Taza, especially regarding medicinal plants used to treat illnesses [7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15]. The present study was carried out to update the list of the local medicinal flora and, above all, to elucidate the methods of preparation of these traditional remedies, based either on local plants or on plant material imported into the study area, focusing on 12 different sites and/or localities in the province of Taza, some of which had not been explored before. At the same time, there will be a comparison of the patterns of use that we have identified with those of previous studies [7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 18]. The use of ethnobotanical indices is crucial for the quantification and analysis of knowledge related to plant use, including socio-demographic data, methods of preparation, methods of administration, and diseases treated. 2. Materials and Methods 2.1. Study Area The province of Taza was officially created as a province on 13 October 1952. Although it is geographically located in the northeast of Morocco, it is also part of the Fez-Meknes region. This province has an area of 7098.50 km2, with 34 rural communes and 04 urban communes [10]. Regarding geomorphology, Taza province is characterized by heterogeneity [19]. The relief is a highly diversified mosaic zone, dominated by mountainous terrain, varying in altitude from 184 to 3010 m (Figure 1). It is characterized by its diversity and richness in terms of the natural environment [20]. Indeed, the region sounds like a great place to visit, especially with its warm and pleasant Mediterranean climate. It's interesting to know that the Tazekka National Park, which is located not too far away from Taza, is home to many medicinal plants. It would be fascinating to explore the park and learn more about these plants. In addition, the region is characterized by its warm, Mediterranean climate, changing from cool winters to hot days in the summer months. Located around 20 km southwest of Taza, we find the Tazekka National Park, covering 580 ha and containing various medicinal plants [12]. According to the population and housing census of September 1994, the legal population of the province of Taza is 708,025 inhabitants [20]. It is divided into 206,181 urban inhabitants and 501,844 rural inhabitants [20]. The present research presents an ethnobotanical study carried out in 12 localities of Taza province (Figure 1), including three urbans: Taza, Tahla, and Oued Amlil, and also 9 rural: bab boudir, Beni ftah, Bab Marzouka, Galdamane, Meknassa charqia, Had Msila, Ras El ma, Had oulad zbayer, and Sabt boukelal, using a face-to-face questionnaire. This survey was carried out in the province of Taza between the period of April 2019 and April 2020, it was carried out among herbalists and the population. The different sites of this survey in the province are distributed in (Figure 1) with the percentage of each area. In the region of Taza, the climate is warm and temperate. The winter is 5802 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate characterized by much higher precipitation than the summer. In Taza, the average annual rainfall is 563 mm [21].In addition, it is dominated in summer by a hot wind from the east or southeast, while in winter; the moist westerly wind is responsible for most of the precipitation recorded in the region [22]. Figure 1. Located stations in the province of TAZA (prepared using ArcGIS software 10.3.1). 2.2. Ethnobotanical Survey The local population studied was directly questioned about the different traditional medicinal uses of plants. The survey was carried out using a questionnaire, to obtain a detailed ethnobotanical directory for the 12 sites in the province of Taza. The survey sample was randomly selected to ensure accuracy and objectivity. In the first phase of this study, a preliminary survey was carried out without a questionnaire to become familiar with the field and the local language. In conversations with local people, the aim was to gain fundamental knowledge about the therapeutic uses of medicinal plants and the methods of use of different types of plant material. During the second part of the survey, participants were presented with a comprehensive questionnaire during individual field interviews. This questionnaire was pre-established at the Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection and the Environment (Plant unit), National School of Agriculture of Meknes, Morocco, and consisted of three distinct parts. The first section aimed to collect information about the participant's background, including details such as age, gender, education level, and family situation. The second section was designed to collect information about the plant and its local applications, including the local vernacular name, collection period, and parts used. The third section of the survey was structured specifically to collect data on participants' methods of preparation and therapeutic administration, including dosage details. Finally, under the supervision of Professor Ghizlane Echchgadda of the Department of Ecology (plant unit), National School of Agriculture of Meknès, a list of medicinal plants used in the province of Taza has been identified and drawn up. 5803 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate 2.3. Plant Species Identification and Preservation At the same time, plant samples were collected. Herbarium plates were also made at the sites where the plants were collected. The taxonomy and identification of plant species were carried out for certain taxa in the field, and others at the Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection and the Environment (Plant Unit), National School of Agriculture of Meknes by the Botanist Pr. Ghizlane Echchgadda at the Ecology Unit, Department of Plant Protection and the Environment (Plant Unit), National School of Agriculture of Meknes from using the specialized literature [23, 24, 25]. The scientific names of the plants were verified according to the “African Plant Database” [26], and “World Flora Online” [27]. Data processing of the present work was first classified in the Microsoft Excel database. Secondly, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was performed to analyze the socio-demographic data of patients and determine whether there were any significant variations between the means (p values ≤0.05 were considered statistically significant). Using IBM SPSS Statistics 25 software, data were entered, processed, and quantitatively analyzed by calculating ethnobotanical indices using simple determination methods. The graphs were created in Excel software version 2013. Finally, based on the ethnobotanical indices, a principal component analysis (PCA) was performed using XLSTAT statistics software version 2016. The map of the study area was produced using ArcGIS software 10.3.1. 2.4. Quantitative Data Analysis To discuss the results of this study and to indicate their novelty value in other ethnobotanical studies, the Criterion of Preparation (CP), Criterion of Part Used (CPU), and Criterion of Administration (CA) were calculated. Also, several quantitative ethnobotanical indices were used: Use Value (UV), the Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), the Family importance value (FIV), Family importance value (FIV), the level of fidelity (FL), Plant part value (VPP) and the Informant Consensus Factor (ICF). 2.4.1. The Criterion of Preparation (CP) The preparation criterion (strictly greater than 1) is the number of preparation methods (infusion, decoction, maceration, etc.) that a specific medicinal plant can present [18]. This criterion indicates the diversity of ways a medicinal plant can be transformed for use [18]. 2.4.2. The criterion of Part Used (CPU) The criterion of parts used (strictly greater than 1) represents the number of parts (leaves, stalks, fruit, etc.) of a specific medicinal plant used [18]. This criterion highlights the diversity of plant parts used for medicinal purposes. 2.4.3. The Criterion of Administration (CA) The criterion of administration (strictly greater than 1) lists the different ways of administering a medicinal plant and represents the number of modes of administration (oral or other) that a specific herb exhibits during its use [18]. 2.4.4. Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC), the Local importance of each plant species was calculated based on the following reference [28]: RFC= FC/ N (1) Where Fc is the number of informants who mentioned the use of the species, and N is the total number of informants (N). 5804 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate 2.4.5. Use Value (UV) The use value of species (UV), a quantitative method that demonstrates the relative importance of species known locally, was calculated according to the following formula used by Vitalini, et al. [29]: UV = ∑Ui N (2) Where Ui is the number of use reports mentioned by each informant i and N is the total number of informants interviewed for a given plant species. 2.4.6. Family Importance Value (FIV) FIV represents the relative importance of families. This value is used to determine the biological taxonomic value of plants, which is obtained by dividing the number of respondents who declared the family (FCfamily) by the number of species within each family (NS), according to Sreekeesoon and Mahomoodally [30]: FIV = FCfamily / NS (3) 2.4.7. Family Use Value (FUV) The FUV identifies the significance of plant families. It is an index of cultural importance that can be applied in ethnobotany to calculate the value of biological plant taxons. The FUV was calculated according to the following formula, already used by Friedman, et al. [31]: FUV = UVs Ns (4) Where UVs=UV is the number of informants mentioning the family and Ns is the total number of species within each family. 2.4.8. Fidelity Level (FL) Fidelity level (FL) is the percentage of informants who mentioned the uses of certain plant species to treat a particular ailment in the study area. The FL index is calculated using the formula used by Sreekeesoon and Mahomoodally [30]: FL(%) = Ip Iu x100 (5) Where Ip is the number of informants who independently indicated the use of a species for the same major ailment and Iu is the total number of informants who mentioned the plant for any major ailment. 2.4.9. Value of Plant Part Used (VPP) The value of the plant part used (VPP) was calculated using the following formula, according to Gomez-Beloz [32]: VPP = RUPlant_part RU (6) RU is the number of uses reported of all parts of the plant and RUPlant_part is the sum of uses reported per part of the plant, the part with the highest VPP is the most used by the respondents. Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) The ICF for each use category was calculated using the following formula by Heinrich, et al. [33]: ICF = Nur−Nt Nur−1 (7) Where ICF is the Informant Consensus Factor, Nur is the number of mentions in each category and Nt is the number of taxa used in each category. The values for the factor range from 0 to 1. 3. Results and Discussion 3.1. Demographic Characteristics of Informants The results of this study show that women are more likely than men to use medicinal plants for health care, with a frequency of 59% versus 41% (Table 1). This is similar to other studies conducted in the same province [11, 15]. This difference between the two groups can be explained by the fact that 5805 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate women are responsible for domestic activities (preparing food and taking care of sick family members). On the other hand, men are more responsible for harvesting or buying plants. These results are in line with other Moroccan ethnobotanical studies [34, 35, 36]. Based on the data presented in Table 1 and Figure 2, those aged 40-59 are the most likely to use medicinal plants (55%), followed by those aged 60 and above. The present study also shows that those aged under 25 and 26-39 years represent 29% and 12% respectively for using medicinal plants (P=0.001). These percentages show that the use of medicinal plants for the treatment of diseases requires the use of older people. This is because they have more knowledge about medicinal plants than other age groups. This is an indication that this type of knowledge is acquired after a long accumulation of experience. The main source of local information on the use of plants in traditional medicine is the experience accumulated over time [37]. There is also a loss of information about medicinal plants. This can be explained by the distrust of certain people, especially young people, who tend to no longer believe in this traditional medicine. These findings confirm those of Benlamdini, et al. [38] and El Hafian, et al. [39]. Figure 2. Number of reported ethnospecies variations according to (a) gender; (b) age; and (c) education level. In the current study (Table 1), married people had the highest use of medicinal plants, at 90%, while single people had the lowest, at 10% (P = 0.001). Compared to other research, the results obtained are similar to those of Boulfia, et al. [9]; El Brahmi, et al. [15] and Jeddi, et al. [40]. This result seems obvious, since for married people, it means they can avoid or reduce the costs of material expenses incurred by the doctor and pharmacist. The educational levels of the population studied are as follows: 29% at the primary level, 14% at the secondary level, and 6% at the university level, while 52% were illiterate. At the Moroccan scale, these results align with those obtained for Mechraâ Bel Ksiri [41] and are different from those obtained by another study in Taza [9]. The low percentage of use of medicinal plants by people with secondary and/or university education can be explained by the fact that they are aware of the danger of excessive use of plants in terms of dose toxicity. On the other hand, most surveys were carried out in rural areas where populations have a low level of education. The type of medicine practiced is predominantly traditional (79%) (Table 1). This shows that the Tazi population has a strong relationship with traditional remedies based on medicinal plants for healing, as reported in other works [7, 9, 11, 12, 13, 15]. 5806 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Table 1. Sociodemographic profile of the informants in the study area. Characters Variables Number of used ethnospecies (%) Numbers of informants (%) p-value Age groups <29 years 2 (3%) 3(2%) 0.001 *** 29-39 16 (21%) 19(12%) 40-59 24 (32%) 81(55%) >60 years 33 (44%) 44(29%) Sex Female 49(65%) 86(58%) 0.001 *** Male 26(35%) 61(41%) Family situation Married 57(76%) 133(90%) 0.001*** Single 18(24%) 14(10%) Educational level Illiterate 34(45%) 76(51%) 0.01** Primary 24(32%) 42(28%) Secondary 12(16%) 20(13%) University 5(5%) 9(9%) Type of medicine practiced Traditional 5(75%) 117(79%) 0.05 * Modern medicine 8(11%) 7(5%) Traditional and modern medicine 11(15%) 23(16%) Note: Significant at p < 0.05 probability level; **Significant at p < 0.01 probability level; ***Significant at p < 0.001 probability level. 3.2. Medicinal Taxa Used, Botanical Families, and Ethnobotanical Indices Based on 147 interviews carried out in the study area, an ethnofloristic catalog was developed (Table 4). A total of 75 medicinal taxa grouped into 42 families were identified. The plant material of these taxa is either collected directly by users in nature or purchased from herbalists or traditional healers. Thus, for the treatment of diseases, the local population uses this medicinal flora belonging to 42 families. The most represented families are Lamiaceae (18 species), Asteraceae (5 species), Fabaceae (5 species), Myrtaceae (3 species), and Cistaceae (3 species). Indeed, several national studies have shown that the flora used for traditional medicine is generally dominated by Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae, here are some examples: Mehdioui and Kahouadji [34]; Khabbach, et al. [11]; Bouharb, et al. [42] and Ghabbour, et al. [18]. The medicinal flora of the province shows that Thymus zygis L. (Zaitra), Rosmarinnus officinalis L. (Azir), Origanum compactum Benth. (Zaâtar), Calamintha menthifolia Host L. (Manta), Salvia officinalis L. (Salmiya) and Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. (Mchichtro) are the medicinal plants most appreciated by users according to the data obtained from UV in Table 4. These results are in agreement with those obtained for the Pre-Rif of Taza [11]. Table 4 gives the scientific name of each plant, its family, its local name, the part used, the preparation method adopted by local people, as well as the FUV, UR, UV, and FL data. In addition, of the 75 species listed in Table 4, two plants mentioned by the interviewers were imported from other locations. These were Aucklandia costus Falc. imported from the Himalayas [43] and Hyoscyamus muticus L. imported from Egypt [44]. 3.3. The Most Used Families, Their Family Use Value (FUV) And Family Importance Value (FIV) Based on the number of taxa recorded in each family (Table 4). The botanical families most represented in the study area are Lamiaceae (18 taxa), Asteraceae and Fabaceae (5 taxa for each of them), Myrtaceae (3 taxa), Cistaceae, and Oleaceae (2 taxa for each of them), while the other families were represented by a single species. Thus, the families that present the highest citation frequency are those of Lamiaceae (198 citations) followed by the Asteraceae (64 citations) (Table 4). The Lamiaceae family is also the most frequently cited family in other works carried out in Taza [15, 18], which demonstrates the importance of this family in medicinal use. Concerning the FUV index, the FUV values of the 5 most used families, according to Table 4 are the Lamiaceae (0.082), the Cupressaceae https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/144230/mentha-suaveolens-ehrh 5807 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate (0.068), the Asteraceae (0.066), the Verbenaceae (0.054), the Aristolochiaceae (0.048) and Euphorbiaceae (0.04). Regarding the FIV index, the families Aristolochiaceae, Plumbaginaceae, and Lamiaceae are the most represented, with the following values respectively: 22, 20, and 14.14. In comparison with the study by El Brahimi, et al. [15], the results of the UV and FIV analyses in this study show a significant difference. The high consumption of medicinal plants in this region (the habits of the population studied) may explain these results. On the other hand, a strong presentation of families in the plant flora studied can be explained by the ecological factors of the study area which favor the development and adaptation of species belonging to these families. These results contribute to the conservation and sustainable management of plant resources. These families show their cultural importance by providing insight into the potential impact of their use on local biodiversity. These results complement recent work in Taza province [7, 18] by guiding conservation efforts and supporting the development of sustainable practices for ecological preservation. 3.4. Frequency of Citation (FC) and Relative Frequency of Citation (RFC) The taxa with the highest citation frequency (Table 4) are Rosmarinus officinalis L. (32), Thymus zygis L. (32), Calamintha menthifolia Host (29), Origanum compactum Benth. (28), and Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter (25). These species also have the highest relative citation frequency (Table 4) with Rosmarinus officinalis L. (0.22), Thymus zygis L. (0.22), Calamintha menthifolia Host (0.20), Origanum compactum Benth. (0.19) and Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter (0.19). In the work of Ghabbour, et al. [7] the highest RFC was noted for Olea europaea L. (RFC=0.294), while Origanum compactum Benth and Rosmarinus officinalis L. have respectively (RFC=0.132) and (RFC=0.126). While, Origanum compactum Benth., and Thymus zygis L. were also ranked among the top three in terms of RFC [15]. 3.5. Diversity Of Medicinal Plants and Their Values UV The use value is used to assess the relative importance of the reported medicinal plants. The taxa with the highest UV index were reported by a large number of informants. The UV results (Table 4) showed a variation between 0.007 and 0.184. While the use value varied between 0.003 and 0.606 [7]. Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Origanum compactum Benth. had the highest UV (0.184), followed by Thymus zygis L. (0.177), Calamintha menthifolia Host (0.163), Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter (0.130) and Salvia Officinalis L. (0.109).These UVs obtained are lower than those noted by Ghabbour, et al. [7] where the UVs of Salvia officinalis L., Trigonella foenum-graecum L., and Rosmarinus officinalis L. being the most important, with respectively the following UVs: 0.606, 0.453, and 0.444. The UVs raised here (Table 4) clearly show the important place of these taxa in popular culture and the heritage knowledge of the local population [7, 15]. Medicinal plant taxa with high UV should be further evaluated through phytochemical and pharmaceutical analyses. These taxa should also be prioritized for conservation, as their preferred uses may threaten their populations through over- exploitation. 3.6. Fidelity Level Index (FL) The FL precision value (Table 4) is an important way of determining which disease a particular species is most effective against. In the present study, the FL of the plant taxa varied between 16 % and 100 %, while they varied between 28.48 % and 100 % [7]. The results also showed that 64 medicinal taxa had an FL of 100% for specific medicinal use. These results show the great fidelity of the taxa in their specific medicinal use within the Taza population. Hence, the proposal of a specific "plant-disease" relationship is based on a better healing potential, whose FL evaluates in particular the specific efficacy of a species for the treatment of disease [7]. 3.7. Categories of Pathologies and Their Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) The categories of diseases are treated by several species (Table 2), and the results obtained show that the diseases of the digestive system (36 taxa), respiratory system (19 taxa), skin (18 taxa), and metabolic diseases (16 taxa) are the most represented. These results agree with previous studies [7, 15], where digestive diseases are the most represented (19.68% and 23.66%). In addition, the most https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/137367/dittrichia-viscosa-l-greuter https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/137367/dittrichia-viscosa-l-greuter https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/specie/186360/calamintha-menthifolia-host https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/137367/dittrichia-viscosa-l-greuter https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/137367/dittrichia-viscosa-l-greuter 5808 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate represented categories are diseases of the digestive system (67 taxa - 23.66%), endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases (63 taxa - 33.89%), diseases of the circulatory system (39 taxa - 10.14%), and certain infectious and parasitic diseases (37 taxa - 9.57%) [7]. This research on treatment with medicinal taxa suggests the need for ethnopharmacological studies to establish this relationship between diseases and the taxa used in their treatment. The ICF is an index for specific pathologies. It is calculated from medicinal plants specifically used for their treatment. In this study, the ICF values (Table 2) varied from 0.706 to 0.839 depending on the categories of use while they varied from 0 to 0.92 [7]. The category with the highest degree was urinary/urological disorders (ICF = 0.839), followed by metabolic diseases (ICF = 0.831), respiratory diseases (ICF = 0.778), nervous system diseases (ICF = 0.775), and digestive system diseases (ICF = 0.750). Comparing the results of the present study with those of Ghabbour, et al. [7], whose category of endocrine, nutritional and metabolic diseases has the highest ICF (0.92), followed by the category of diseases of the digestive system (0.88), the category of certain infectious diseases and parasitic diseases and the category of diseases of the circulatory system (0.83 each). In addition, this level of ICF indicates the appropriate reliability of the informants about the consumption of the various species of medicinal plants In the area studied and shows that the people of Taza share their knowledge on the principal species of medicinal plants for the treatment of the major illnesses present in the region. The survey conducted in Taza Province further supports the findings of Ghabbour, et al. [7] on the correlation between the consumption of medicinal plants with the diseases treated by these species in this region. Table 2. Informant Consensus Factor (ICF) values by categories for treating various diseases. Categories List of plant species used (we have the number of uses) Nt Nur ICF Digestive system Ajuga iva (L.) Schreb. (3), Arbutus unedo L. (1), Artemisia herba-alba Asso (2), Calamintha menthifolia Host. (2), Centaurium erythraea Rafn (1), Ceratonia siliqua L. (1), Dysphania ambrosioides (L.) Mosyakin & Clemants (3) Cistus ladanifer L. (2), Cistus salviifolius L.(2), Corrigiola telephiifolia Pourr. (4), Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter (17), Globularia alypum L. (3), Juncus acutus L. (1), Lepidium sativum L. (1), Linum usitatissimum L. (2), Marrubium vulgare L. (6), Nerium oleander L. (2), Thymus zygis L. (4), Origanum majorana L. (1), Origanum compactum Benth. (27), Pelargonium odoratissimum (L.) L'Hér. (2), Phillyrea latifolia L. (1), Pimpinella anisum L. (1), Pinus halepensis Mill. (1), Piper cubeba L. f. (2), Pistacia lentiscus L. (4), Punica granatum L. (6), Quercus suber L. (2), Rosmarinus officinalis L. (25), Salvia officinalis L. (3), Silene vulgaris (Moench) Garcke. (1), Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Mast. (2), Thymelaea lanuginosa (Lam.) Ceballos & C. Vicioso (2), Fumana scoparia Pomel (1), Trigonella foenum-graecum L. (1), Ziziphus jujuba Mill. (3). 36 141 0.750 Respiratory system Aloysia citrodora Palau (1), Arbutus unedo L. (1), Calamintha menthifolia Host. (24), Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter (3), Eucalyptus globulus Labill. (5), Lavandula multifida L. (1), Lavandula stoechas L.(6), Lepidium sativum L. (1), Marrubium vulgare L. (5), Mentha pulegium L. (7), Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. (4), Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (2), Thymus zygis L. (1), Origanum majorana L. (2), Pelargonium odoratissimum (L.) L'Hér. (6), Phillyrea latifolia L. (2), Rosmarinus officinalis L. (6), Salvia verbenaca L. (1). Fumana scoparia Pomel (4). 19 82 0.778 https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/142854/arbutus-unedo-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/135962/artemisia-herba-alba-asso https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/135962/artemisia-herba-alba-asso https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/143448/centaurium-erythraea-rafn https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/63200/ceratonia-siliqua-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/134977/cistus-ladanifer-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/134977/cistus-ladanifer-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/135011/cistus-salviifolius-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/133638/corrigiola-telephiifolia-pourr https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/133638/corrigiola-telephiifolia-pourr https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/137367/dittrichia-viscosa-l-greuter https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/150368/globularia-alypum-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/150368/globularia-alypum-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/160745/juncus-acutus-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/77971/lepidium-sativum-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/11102/linum-usitatissimum-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/117802/marrubium-vulgare-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/144372/origanum-compactum-benth https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/10501/pelargonium-odoratissimum-l-l-h-r https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/10501/pelargonium-odoratissimum-l-l-h-r https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/149247/phillyrea-latifolia-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/27062/pimpinella-anisum-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/221393/piper-cubeba-l-f https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/221393/piper-cubeba-l-f https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/148716/punica-granatum-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/143359/quercus-suber-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/117746/salvia-officinalis-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/117746/salvia-officinalis-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/154163/thymelaea-lanuginosa-lam-ceballos-c-vicioso https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/154163/thymelaea-lanuginosa-lam-ceballos-c-vicioso https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/135069/fumana-scoparia-pomel https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/63864/trigonella-foenum-graecum-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/152489/ziziphus-jujuba-mill https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/123400/aloysia-citrodora-palau https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/142854/arbutus-unedo-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/137367/dittrichia-viscosa-l-greuter https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/129051/eucalyptus-globulus-labill https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/77971/lepidium-sativum-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/117802/marrubium-vulgare-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/117802/marrubium-vulgare-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/117477/mentha-pulegium-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/144230/mentha-suaveolens-ehrh https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/144230/mentha-suaveolens-ehrh https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/5465/opuntia-ficus-indica-l-mill https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/10501/pelargonium-odoratissimum-l-l-h-r https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/10501/pelargonium-odoratissimum-l-l-h-r https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/149247/phillyrea-latifolia-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/144455/rosmarinus-officinalis-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/144455/rosmarinus-officinalis-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/117739/salvia-verbenaca-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/135069/fumana-scoparia-pomel 5809 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Urinary system Chamaemelum fuscatum (Brot.) Vasc. (9), Euphorbia resinifera O.Berg (6), Herniaria hirsuta L. (4), Opuntia ficus-indica (L.) Mill. (1), Teucrium polium L. subsp. polium (3), Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. (1) 6 32 0.839 Metabolic diseases Ajuga iva (L.) Schreb. (1), Aristolochia fontanesii Boiss. & Reut. (7), Artemisia herba-alba Asso (2), Capparis spinosa L. (4), Centaurium erythraea Rafn (3), Globularia alypum L. (1), Marrubium vulgare L. (7), Olea europaea L. (1), Opuntia ficus- indica (L.) Mill. (1), Thymus zygis L. (23), Origanum majorana L. (8), Peganum harmala L. (2), Salvia officinalis L. (12), Salvia verbenaca L. (1), Aucklandia costus Falc. (1), Tamarix africana Poir. (1). 16 90 0.831 Skin Agave americana L. (2), Anthyllis cytisoides L. (1), Chamaemelum fuscatum (Brot.) Vasc. (2), Daphne gnidium L. (5), Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter (5), Hyoscyamus muticus L. (4), Juglans regia L.(1), Lavandula multifida L. (7), Myrtus communis L. (2), Ononis natrix L. (1), Pistacia lentiscus L. (4), Plantago major L. (1), Plumbago europaea L. (9), Ruta montana (L.) L. (4), Selaginella P. Beauv. (2), Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry (1), Urtica dioica L. (1), Ziziphus lotus (L.) Lam. (1). 18 63 0.726 Nervous system Aloysia citrodora Palau (8), Ammoides pusilla (Brot.) Breistr. (2), Artemisia herba-alba Asso (12), Chamaemelum fuscatum (Brot.) Vasc. (4), Crataegus monogyna Jacq. (1), Glycyrrhiza glabra L. (2, Myrtus communis L. (1), Piper cubeba L. f. (1), Syzygium aromaticum (L.) Merr. & L.M. Perry (3), Vogtia annua (L.) Oberpr. & Sonboli (7). 10 41 0.775 Skeletal and muscular system Capparis spinosa L. (2), Clematis flammula L. (1), Nigella sativa L. (2), Thymus zygis L. (2), Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Mast. (10). 6 18 0.706 NT is the Number of uses for categories of diseases and Nur is the number of plants used for a specific ailment by all informants. 3.8. The Value of the Plant Part Used (VPP) The population of Taza province harvests different parts of the plant (seed, root, flower, fruit, leaf, and whole plant) to prepare traditional remedies. The results obtained (Figure 3 and Table 4) showed that the highest criterion of used part (CPU=4) is used for the species Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter, and that the leaf was reported as the most used part with a VPP of around 0.601, followed by the aerial part, leaf and stem, root, seed, fruit, bark, flower and lastly stem with VPP values in the following order: 0.169, 0.069, 0.045, 0.052, 0.023, 0.019, 0.008, 0.004. Similar results indicated that the leaf was the most used plant part in the province of Taza (Morocco) [9], and even outside Morocco [45, 46]. The leaves are mainly used for their availability, ease of harvesting, and simplicity in preparing remedies. In addition, the leaves are the site of photosynthesis and sometimes the storage of secondary metabolites responsible for the biological properties of the plant. In another study [18], two plant species, Anethum foeniculum L. and Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) Fuss. had the highest used part criterion (CPU=4), and this result agrees with the present study. https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/136940/chamaemelum-fuscatum-brot-vasc https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/133833/herniaria-hirsuta-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/5465/opuntia-ficus-indica-l-mill https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/5465/opuntia-ficus-indica-l-mill https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/117850/teucrium-polium-l-subsp-polium https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/152490/ziziphus-lotus-l-lam https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/152490/ziziphus-lotus-l-lam https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/132046/aristolochia-fontanesii-boiss-reut https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/132046/aristolochia-fontanesii-boiss-reut https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/135962/artemisia-herba-alba-asso https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/129554/capparis-spinosa-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/143448/centaurium-erythraea-rafn https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/150368/globularia-alypum-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/117802/marrubium-vulgare-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/149209/olea-europaea-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/5465/opuntia-ficus-indica-l-mill https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/5465/opuntia-ficus-indica-l-mill https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/145454/thymus-zygis-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/118745/origanum-majorana-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/118745/origanum-majorana-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/149099/peganum-harmala-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/117746/salvia-officinalis-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/117739/salvia-verbenaca-l https://www.worldfloraonline.org/taxon/wfo-0000075190 https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/154020/tamarix-africana-poir https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/154020/tamarix-africana-poir https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/155738/agave-americana-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/145645/anthyllis-cytisoides-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/136940/chamaemelum-fuscatum-brot-vasc https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/154137/daphne-gnidium-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/137367/dittrichia-viscosa-l-greuter https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/153852/hyoscyamus-muticus-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/149071/myrtus-communis-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/149071/myrtus-communis-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/147532/ononis-natrix-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/115127/plantago-major-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/151258/plumbago-europaea-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/genus/194813/selaginella-p-beauv https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/122335/urtica-dioica-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/152490/ziziphus-lotus-l-lam https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/123400/aloysia-citrodora-palau https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/135962/artemisia-herba-alba-asso https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/136940/chamaemelum-fuscatum-brot-vasc https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/136940/chamaemelum-fuscatum-brot-vasc https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/63187/glycyrrhiza-glabra-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/63187/glycyrrhiza-glabra-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/149071/myrtus-communis-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/221393/piper-cubeba-l-f https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/16437/syzygium-aromaticum-l-merr-l-m-perry https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/129554/capparis-spinosa-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/151868/clematis-flammula-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/83275/nigella-sativa-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/83275/nigella-sativa-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/145454/thymus-zygis-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/131029/tetraclinis-articulata-vahl-mast https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/131029/tetraclinis-articulata-vahl-mast 5810 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Figure 3. The value of the plant part used. 3.9. Methods of Remedy Preparations The results obtained for the method of preparation of the plant part used (Figure 4) showed that decoction is the most frequent method of preparation with a percentage of 49%, followed by preparation in powder form (29%), by infusion (16%), by extraction (5%) and by maceration (1%). In addition, Table 4 shows that the highest criterion of preparation (CP=3) is used for the species Lavandula multifida L. On the other hand, Ghabbour, et al. [18] show that the highest preparation criterion observed of two plant species of Euphorbia resinifera O.Berg and Trigonella foenum-graecum L. is CP = 5. The best use of a plant would be one that guarantees all its properties while allowing the extraction and assimilation of the active ingredients. In addition, medicinal plants have undesirable effects when misused by the population. Furthermore, the results showed that most recipes are prepared either by a single plant with a percentage of 65% or with a collection of plants in combination with other materials at 35%. Indeed, the type of medicinal remedy generally depends on the nature of the pathologies treated by the local population. The results mentioned are similar to those obtained by Kachmar, et al. [13] and El Brahmi, et al. [15], particularly concerning the most used method of preparation (decoction). Figure 4. Distribution of the various preparations of medicinal plants according to the mode of preparation (A) and the type of the recipe (B). 5811 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate 3.10. Administration Mode Concerning the mode of administration, Table 4 shows that the highest criterion of administration (CA=3) is used for two species Chamaemelum fuscatum (Brot.) Vasc. And Vogtia annua (L.) Oberpr. & Sonboli. In further analysis, Ghabbour, et al. [18] found that 20 plant species had the highest administration criterion (AC=2). In addition, Figure 5 shows that oral ingestion is the most used mode with a percentage of 77%, a result similar to that obtained by El Brahmi, et al. [15] carried out in other municipalities in the province of Taza, followed by infusion (16%), local applications (6%), gargling, chewing and other methods with a percentage less than 2%. Also, the majority of interviewers showed that medicinal plants are used in random and indeterminate doses due to a lack of education, which subsequently results in health problems that can lead to toxicity. In addition, some plants are not recommended for pregnant women. Therefore, it is necessary to educate the provincial authorities. Most people don't know the seriousness of the side effects of most medicinal plants. Figure 5. Distribution of frequency of medicinal plants used by mode of administration. 3.11. The Modalities of Used and Comparative Evaluation of the Medicinal Plants Most Frequently Inventoried in the Province of Taza as Used for Traditional Purposes Based on the results presented in Table 3, it is evident that the utilization of medicinal plants varies substantially depending on the population being studied and the intended therapeutic use. Among the different methods of use, decoction is most commonly employed, followed by infusion and powder. After conducting an in-depth analysis, we can conclude that this field requires further extensive research to understand all the modalities being used by the population under study, including preparation, administration, and extraction. According to a comparative study of the modalities of use of medicinal plants in the province of Taza by researchers (Table 3), there is an interesting diversity of modalities (decoction, infusion, cataplasm, or in the form of essential oil). For the Artemisia herba-alba Asso plant, the infusion mode was the first to be declared by the researchers in the present study, while other studies found that decoction was the most widely used mode for this plant. Regarding the following plants: Chamaemelum fuscatum (Brot.) Vasc, Herniaria hirsuta L. Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter and Lavandula multifida L. can be used either as a decoction or in powder form [11, 13, 15]. In addition, the second difference is in the use of the Pistacia lentiscus L. plant. In the present research, this plant can be used in powder form; while Kachmar, et al. [13] have found that it can be used as a fumigant. El Brahmi, et al. [15] declared for the first time that the following plants: Origanum compactum Benth, Rosmarinus officinalis L., and Calamintha menthifolia Host will be used as essential oils. A comparative evaluation of local uses of the most used taxons and the vernacular names was developed (Table 3) based on the results of various studies carried out in the province of Taza, namely: Kabbach, et al. [11]; Kachmar, et al. [13]; El Brahmi, et al. [15]; Ghabbour, et al. [7], and Ghabbour, et al. [18]. The comparative list of some medicinal plants presented in Table 3 and used in the province of Taza https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/136940/chamaemelum-fuscatum-brot-vasc 5812 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate shows that the vernacular names of most of the selected plants remain the same with some modifications (Magraman, Bayramane/Bagramane) in the work of Kabbach, et al. [11] and Kachmar, et al. [13]. However, the therapeutic use of plants differs from one research project to another but in the majority of cases, it remains in the same section of the pathologies treated. This variation of the therapeutic use of plants is linked to the community studied and also depends on the needs of the population and its tradition. 5813 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Table 3. Comparative list of the modalities of use of the medicinal plants most frequently inventoried in the province of Taza as used for traditional purposes. Taxon The present study Vernacular name Therapeutic use Modalities of use Khabbach, et al. [11] Vernacular name Therapeutic use Modalities of use Kachmar, et al. [13] Vernacular name Therapeutic use Modalities of use El Brahmi, et al. [15] Vernacular name Therapeutic use Modalities of use Ghabbour, et al. [7,18] Vernacular name Therapeutic use Modalities of use Artemisia herba-alba Asso Chih Cold, Stomach ache, chill Decoction/ Infusion Chih Anti-rheumatic, anti- rheum, stomachic Decoction Chih Gastrointestinal, infections, Abdominal Decoction Chih Diabetes, anti-inflammatory, stomach pain Decoction Diabetes, Digestive system, Intestinal pain, Cold, Cough, Microbial infection, (Covid 19) Fever, Immune deficiency, Depression Stomach pain, Flu, Tiredness, Dizziness, Nervousness Decoction/ Infusion Chamaemelum fuscatum (Brot.) Vasc. Babounj Hair and face care, Stomach ache Decoction/ Powder Babounej Antidepressant, against anemia - against hair loss Decoction/ Cataplasm Babounj Colic, diarrhea, nervousness, depression, angina, mouth ulcers Infusion/Powder Babounj romi Digestive problems, sedative, haircare, eye disease, allergy Decoction/ Infusion/Powder Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter Magraman Stomach ache,injuries Decoction Bayramane Carminative, purgative, vulnerary, stomachic Decoction Bagramane Cold, osteoarticular pain, Diabetes Wormer Infusion Magraman Skin disease, cancer, digestive problems Decoction/ Infusion/Powder Aesthetic, Perfumery, Ornamental Infusion/Powder Herniaria hirsuta L. Haras lahjar Renal lithiasis, urinary tract infection Decoction Herast lahjar Analgesic nephritis, depurative Decoction Harast lahjer Diabetes Kidney stones Decoction Harass elhajer Kidney disease Infusion Hypertension, Digestive system, Osteoporosis, Renal system Decoction/ Infusion Lavandula multifida L. Lkhzama Diuretics Decoction /Powder L’khzama Tonic, stimulant and anti-rheum, hair treatment Decoction /Powder Lkhzama Urinary system, disorder Powder Lakhzama Cold problem, burn treatment, digestive disease, kidney disease, rheumatological disease, haircare Decoction/ Infusion Perfumery, Culinary, Aesthetic, Ornamental Infusion/Decoction/Brute/Essential oils https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/136940 https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/136940 https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/136940 https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/137367/dittrichia-viscosa-l-greuter https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/137367/dittrichia-viscosa-l-greuter https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/137367/dittrichia-viscosa-l-greuter https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/133833/herniaria-hirsuta-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/133833/herniaria-hirsuta-l 5814 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Origanum compactum Benth Zàatar Bad digestion and bloating Infusion Zàatar, zouy Purgative, stomachic, carminative, analgesic, anti-emetic, anti- rheumatic, anti-diabetic, anti-ulcer, anti-diarrheal, against menstrual pain, anti-intoxication Decoction/Powder Zàatar Gastro-intestinal, infection, Stomach ache, Fever Cold Decoction/Infusion/Pow der Zaater Cold problems, genito- urinary disease, respiratory disease, digestive problems, appetite stimulation Decoction/Infusion Maceration/Powder/Essentia l oil Diabetes, Digestive system, Cold, Cough Microbial, infection (COVID- 19), Fever Respiratory system, Cancer, Stomach pain Tiredness, Nervousness Flu, Mouth diseases, Cardiac Infusion/Decoction Pistacia lentiscus L. Tro Gastroenteritis Decoction/Powder Fadis, atro Anti-rheum, carminative, purgative, anti-diarrheal – anti-migraine Decoction/Inhalation Drou Digestive system, pathologies Decoction Drou Digestive problems Decoction Digestive system, Stomach pain, Mouth sores Infusion Rosmarinus officinalis L. Azir Stomach ache, cold Decoction Azir Purgative, sedative (aorta palpitations, called locally "Boumzoui"), anti-rheum, anti- rheumatic, liver protection Decoction/Fumigation Azir Gastric disorders, Digestive system, pathologies, Heart disease Decoction/Infusion Azir Digestive problems, burn treatment, sedative, blood circulation stimulation, anti- inflammatory, cold problems, haircare Decoction/Infusion/Essential oil Diabetes, Headaches, Digestive system, Intestinal pain, Cold, Cough Fever, Respiratory system, Renal system, Dental pain, Stomach pain, Tiredness, Diarrhea Intestin, Dizziness, Sexual Impotence, Nervous system, Nervousness Flu, Sexual diseases, Mouth diseases, Circulatory diseases, Cardiac and stomach ulcers Infusion/Decoction/Powder Salvia Officinalis L. Salmiya Diabetes, hypertension, urinary tract infection Decoction/Infusion Salmiya Anti-diabetes, carminative, purgative Decoction Samiya Diabetes Infusion Salmiya Digestive disease, diabetes, face care hypertension Infusion Diabetes, Hypotension, Digestive system, Cough, Immune deficiency, Respiratory system, Renal system, Stomach pain, Tiredness, Cardiac, Dizziness Sexual impotence, Sexual diseases, Circulatory diseases Infusion/Decoction -Tetraclinis articulata (Vahl) Mast. Aâraâr Stomach ache Decoction/ Powder L'âarâar, amr'zi Locally analgesic, stomachic, anti- rheumatic Decoction/Fumigation/ Local application Al’Araàr Stomach-ache, Hypotensive, Diabetes Infusion/Fumigation El-aaraa Digestive affection, haircare Decoction/Powder/Fumigati on Diabetes, Digestive system, Intestinal pain, Cold, Respiratory system, Stomach pain, Intoxication https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/131029/tetraclinis-articulata-vahl-mast https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/131029/tetraclinis-articulata-vahl-mast https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/131029/tetraclinis-articulata-vahl-mast 5815 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate -Aristolochia fontanesii Boiss. & Reut. Barztem Cancer,Scorpion bites Powder Bar'ztem Vulnerary, anticancer, anti-ulcer Powder Baraztam Cold, tooth pain, osteoarticular pain, inflammation, allergy Decoction/Powder Bereztem Cancer, digestive problems, kidney disease, skin disease Powder/Decoction/Macerati on Saignement, Mouth sores, Infection, Goitre Sores Orally/ External app -Eucalyptus globulus Labill. Eucalyptus sp Kalitous knee pain, cold Decoction Kalitous Anti-rheum, anti- rheumatic, anti-flu Decoction/Inhalation Al’Kalitouss Flu Fumigation Elkalibtouse Respiratory disease, diabetes Decoction/Fumigation Diabetes, Hypertension, Cardiac, Digestive system, Asthma Fever, Immune deficiency, Lung Flu, inflammation, Respiratory system Yellowing Infusion/Decoction - Aloysia citriodora Palau Lwiza Stomach aches, purgative decoction L'wiza Analgesic in pediatric, stomachic, purgative Decoction Lwiza Stomach-ache, Hypertension, Diabetes Infusion/Decoction Lwiza Digestive disease, cold problem, sedative, hypertension Infusion Hypertension, Digestive system, Intestinal pain, Fever, Immune deficiency, Depression, Tachycardia, Nervous system Infusion/Decoction Calamintha menthifolia Host Manta Cold problem, fever problems Decoction/ Powder T'minṭa, manṭa Anti-rheum, antitussive, stomachic Decoction in milk Manta Flu Cold Decoction/Infusion Manta Digestive disorder, cold problem, sedative, antiinflammatory, cough, fever, respiratory disease Decoction/Infusion/Powder Essential oil Diabetes, Digestive system, Cold, Cough, Fever, Respiratory system, Renal system, Stomach pain, Diarrhea, Flu, Sexual diseases, Mouth diseases, Stomach ulcer Infusion/Decoction https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/123399 https://africanplantdatabase.ch/en/nomen/123399 5816 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate The majority of diseases treated by these plants studied are problems of the digestive system and respiratory systems (19.68% and f 9.93% respectively) [15]. Thus, new medicinal uses have recently been highlighted by Ghabbour, et al. [7], which means constantly updating ethnobotanical research. The plant diversity of the study environment is the most perceptible manifestation of the natural wealth of medicinal plants [7, 9, 11, 12,13,14,15, 16, 17, 18] which appears in the province of Taza. 3.12. Medicinal Plants and Their Importance in A Variety of Taxa It is interesting to note that the plant diversity in the study environment is a clear indication of the natural wealth of medicinal plants, as previously highlighted in various studies [7, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18]. In addition, this is particularly true for the province of Taza, where a wide range of medicinal plants can be found. The most noticeable manifestation of the natural wealth of medicinal plants in the province of Taza appears in the previous works According to scientific research conducted in the Taza province from 2012 to 2024 [7, 11, 17, 18], a plant species is considered the primary unit of plant classification. Plants of the same species form a community within the plant world, while related species form a family. The present study contributes to the knowledge of the diversity of various plant species such as Rockrose (Cistus ladanifer L. and Cistus salviifolius L.), Origanum (Origanum majorana L.and Origanum compactum Benth.), Lavandula (Lavandula stoechas L. and Lavandula multifida L.) and Mint (Mentha suaveolens Ehrh. and Mentha pulegium L.). Due to the vast diversity of plant species in Morocco, the country has great potential for medicinal plants [47]. In fact, according to the National Agency for Medicines and Aromatic Plants [48], Morocco ranks second in the world after Turkey in this regard. It is important to preserve this wealth by adopting solutions that promote the development of the sector. One of the key solutions includes enhancing the management of production and marketing to better value Moroccan medicinal plants. Additionally, it is imperative to ensure the availability of expertise, such as analyses and studies, and foster various partnerships through national and international cooperation. 3.13. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) Results of the principal component analysis (PCA) (Figure 6) showed that the first two components (PC1 & PC2 = 94.78% of the total variation) are sufficient to represent and interpret the results of the ethnobotanical indices studied. PC1 accounted for 80.92% of the total variation while PC2 presented 13.86%. PC1 is strongly influenced by FC, RFC, UV, and UR, while PC2 is influenced by FL. The results obtained confirm those of Ghabbour, et al. [7] whose PCA results showed that the first two axes represented the majority of the total variation (95.62%) of which PC1 (ROP, RFC, IC, UV, and T) presented 79.48% of the total variance, while PC2 (FL) shows 16.75% of the variation. These results confirm the suggestion of Ghabbour, et al. [7] named the first component (PC1) “the importance of the uses of medicinal plants” and designated the second component as an indicator of the faithfulness of use in the face of an illness. From the first two main components (PC1 and PC2), a biplane was created to simplify the diffusion of species according to the ethnobotanical variables studied, and a selection was made to classify three groups of plant species (G1, G2, and G3) for medicinal use. The species distribution is close to that found in Ghabbour, et al. [7]. G1 and G2 are characterized by a significant number of medicinal taxons as is the case in Ghabbour, et al. [7]. https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/135011/cistus-salviifolius-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/135011/cistus-salviifolius-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/118745/origanum-majorana-l https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/144372/origanum-compactum-benth https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/144230/mentha-suaveolens-ehrh https://africanplantdatabase.ch/fr/nomen/specie/117477/mentha-pulegium-l 5817 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Table 4. Summary list of traditional uses of plant species inventoried in the province of Taza. 5818 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate 5819 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate 5820 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Note: FC: Frequency of Citation, RFC: Relative Frequency of Citation, RU: Uses Reported, UV: Use Value, FUV: Family use value, FCF: Family Frequence Citation, FIV: Family importance value VC=Voucher codes (°: Identified). 5821 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Figure 6. Principal components analysis of the ethnobotanical indices (A) and Biplot (B) for plant species (according to their number codes in Table 4) according to the two components of (PC1) and of (PC2). G3 consists of the medicinal taxons of Rosmarinus officinalis L., Origanum compactum Benth., Thymus zygis L., Calamintha menthifolia Host, and Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter with the highest UV and RFC, strongly correlated with PC1. Rosmarinus officinalis L., Origanum compactum Benth., Thymus zygis L. and Calamintha menthifolia Host are positively correlated with RFC, FC, UV, and UR, while Dittrichia viscosa (L.) Greuter is negatively correlated (Figure 6). The number of species (5) forming the G3 remains close to the number found (8) in a study by Ghabbour, et al. [7]. The analysis and comparative discussion of these results within the province of Taza, quantitatively show the importance of the use of medicinal plants by the population of Taza. Thus, further work in the same direction is necessary to better understand the specific status of the indices of these medicinal taxons. 4. Conclusion The province of Taza contains interesting plant biodiversity exploited by the population and is specifically characterized by great botanical diversity in medicinal plants for therapeutic use. Medicinal plants are used more by married people. Most of the medicinal taxons used in our study area are Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, and Fabaceae, and are widely used in the treatment of pathologies of the digestive system (ICF = 0.750), metabolic diseases (ICF = 0.831), respiratory system (ICF = 0.778), and skin diseases (ICF = 0.726). The leaves are the most used part. The preparation method differs depending on the pathologies to be treated, but the decoction remains the most common preparation method. Oral administration is the most used (77%), and various ethnobotanical clues point to these important medicinal uses. The present study is an inventory that constitutes a source of information that contributes to a better knowledge of medicinal plant resources and the preservation of local popular know-how in the Taza province. It can also constitute a database to enable the valorization of this heritage through the discovery of new active ingredients that can be used for various purposes. 5822 Edelweiss Applied Science and Technology ISSN: 2576-8484 Vol. 8, No. 6: 5800-5824, 2024 DOI: 10.55214/25768484.v8i6.3260 © 2024 by the authors; licensee Learning Gate Acknowledgments: Thanks to all those who took part in this research, in particular those who shared information about the region of Taza. This research can also serve as a database for promoting the region's plant heritage. Special thanks are also due to Mr Abdessamed Moubrim and Mr Smail Ait Bahadou for their support and to all the members of the Natural Resources and Environment Laboratory, Polydisciplinary Faculty of Taza, Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco. List of Abbreviations: UV: Use Value, FC: Frequency of Citation, RFC: Relative Frequency of Citation, FUV: Family Use Value, FIV: Family importance value, Ns: Number of species within each family, IAR: Informant Agreement Ratio, FL: Fidelity level, VPP: Value of the plant part used, RU: Number of uses reported of all parts of the plant, ICF: Informant Consensus Factor, Nur: Number of mentions in each category, Nt: Number of taxa used in each category, VC=Voucher codes. Authors’ Contribution: G. Echchgadda, S. Chakir, and F. El Hajli: Ideas, design, supervision, validation of the study, manuscript preparation, and review. F. El Hajli and I. 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