Ethnobotanical study of potentially toxic plants of Fez-Meknes Region, Eastern Middle Atlas, Morocco

Abstract

Medicinal plants have been used for therapeutic purposes since ancient times. These plants are generally perceived as safe, but they could also be toxic. The present study aims to undertake a survey of the nature, mode of application, and toxic effect of medicinal plants used in Fez-Meknes region, Eastern Middle Atlas, Morocco. An ethnobotanical survey was conducted from January 2020 to August 2021. The method employed a semi-structured questionnaire with open-ended questions on the uses, mode of application, and effects of the plants. The data obtained were statistically analyzed. Parameters such as Family use value (FUV), Use value (UV), Fidelity level (FL), and Informant agreement ratio (IAR) were obtained. From the survey, 59 potentially toxic plants, distributed across 33 families were documented. Concerning the uses of these plants, 31% of the respondents claimed that the plants are for cosmetic purposes, 23% claimed they are for minor illnesses, 15% claimed they are for chronic diseases, another 15% claimed they are ineffective, while 8% each claimed that they are for acute illnesses and other uses. For the disease categories, the result showed that the IAR values ranged from 0.8 to 0.96. The disease with the highest IAR value was hair loss (IAR = 0.96), followed by rheumatism (IAR = 0.95). The findings from this study have highlighted the potentially poisonous plants in the Fez-Meknes region. Further phytochemical and pharmacological studies on acute, sub-acute, and chronic plant toxicity are needed to determine the acceptable dose (LD₅₀), the most appropriate method for optimal use.