1. Introduction and objectives
ETHNOBOTANICAL SURVEY ON HERBAL MEDICINES USED BY DIABETIC PATIENTS IN RABAT
Souad Skalli1, Rachida Hassikou1, Moustapha Arahou1 1Faculty of Sciences, MOHAMMED V UNIVERSITY IN RABAT
International Symposium on Diabetes and Nutrition. Rabat, 6-8 July 2018
Introduction and objectives
Traditional herbal remedies provide health services even in highly industrialized settings because they are important pillars of culture and human socialization (1).
Numerous plants have been reported to possess an antidiabetic activity. Some of them may serve as an interesting source of drug candidates for the pharmaceutical research.
The present study was undertaken to provide ethnobotanical information on medicinal plants used in folk medicine by diabetic patients (DPs) to treat diabetes.

2. Materials and methods Study design
An ethnobotanical survey was performed among DPs of an association in Rabat. This survey was conducted from October 1st to November 30th 2018 and consisted of an oral interview using a semi-structured questionnaire.
Questionnaire
The questionnaire is composed of 10 questions:
Patient: Surname and First Name; Age; Gender and Educational level
Disease: Type of Diabetes
Plant(s) used: Vernacular name; Parts used; Amount or dose used; Mode of preparation;
Mode of administration
Plant identification
Patients were asked to bring back a sample of the plants used. The botanical names were identified using the Moroccan identification key ″FLORE PRATIQUE DU MAROC″ (2).
Data analysis
The data reported on the questionnaire were entered and listed on a Microsoft Excel database. These results were analyzed descriptively and comparatively.  

3. Ethnobotanical survey data
Results
From 270 DPs who participated to this survey, 115 diabetics (42.6%) use medicinal plants (MP). Table 1 displays the socio demographic profile of these DPs.
Diabetes disease
Among DPs who use MP, 85 (74%) of them have type 2 diabetes and 30 (26%) of DPs have type 1 diabetes.
Table 1: Sociodemographic characteristics of diabetic patients
Variable
Subgroup
Number
Percentage (%)
Sex
Male 11
9.6
Female
104
90.4
Age
< 20 years 3
2.6
[20-40years] 9
7.8
]40-60 years] 50
43.5
> 60 years 53
46.1
Educational level
Illiterates 77 67
Primary 22
19.1
Secondary 10
8.7
University 6
5.2
Ethnobotanical survey data
This survey gathered information on
29 plants species reported by the DPs.
The families with most antidiabetic plants included Lamiaceae with 8 species followed by Zingiberaceae with 2 species. The rest of the families were represented with 1 species each.

4. Results DPs reported that MP used have an antidiabetic effect
and this is directly observed after the first measurement
of blood glucose post ingestion of these plants.
Two species namely Calamintha alpina L. and Mentha
suaveolens Ehr., were reported in this survey for the first
time as antidiabetic plants.
Figure 1: plants used frequently by diabetic patients

5. Conclusions
The wide variety of medicinal plants that are used to treat diabetes in this survey
unveiled a significant diversity of potential antidiabetic medicinal plants and an
ethnobotanical acknowledgement to these plants.
Two plants are reported for the first time as used in traditional treatment of
diabetes.
The information documented on the medicinal plants used may serve as baseline
data for future pharmacological and phytochemical studies and consequently the
discovery of new drugs.
References
1- Owuor, B., Mulemi, B., Kokwaro, J., Indigenous snake bite remedies of the Luo of western Kenya. J.
Ethnobiol. 25,
2- Fennane, M., Ibn Tattou, M., Mathez, J., Ouyahya, A., Oualidi, J., Flore Pratique du Maroc, Vol. 3 :
Dicotyledones, Monocotylédones: Manuel de Détermination Travaux de l′Institut Scientifique, Série
Botanique, no 40, Rabat.