Phytotherapy to prevent and treat COVID-19 in the province of Azilal, Morocco.

Document Type : Original Article

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Laboratory of Natural Substances, Pharmacology, Environment, Modeling, Health and Quality of Life (SNAMOPEQ). Faculty of Sciences Dhar El Mahraz. University Sidi Mohamed Ben Abdellah, Fez 30000, Morocco

Abstract

Background: COVID-19 is one of the most widely spread viruses worldwide and different conventional and traditional strategies have been tried to prevent and treat the infection. The current study was designed to document traditional knowledge on medicinal plants used to prevent and treat COVID-19 among herbalists of Azilal region, Morocco. Methods: Semi-structured direct interviews were conducted with 20 herbalists were undertaken to archive different medicinal plants and traditional remedies widely used to treat COVID-19 in the Azilal region, Morocco. Results: The results revealed that 20 plant species from 20 genera and 13 families used by herbalists in the prefecture of Azilal for the prevention and treatment of COVID-19. The most mentioned plants were Eucalyptus globulus Labill, Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb, Artemisia annua L, Olea europaea L, Allium cepa L, A. sativum L, Citrus limon (L.) Eugenia caryophyllata Thunb, Zingiber officinale Roscoe, and Salvia officinalis L. The most commonly used plant parts for herbal preparations were leaves (30%) followed by seeds (20%), and the majority of remedies were prepared by infusion. Conclusion: Ethnopharmacological research is extremely important for identifying plants used for the treatment of COVID-19 and creating a database of medicinal plants well-known for their biological properties. They may lead to the discovery of medicinal plants as prospects for drug discovery.

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