In the framework of the ethnobotanical studies on medicinal plants used in traditional medicine in the treatment of urinary infections(pyelonephritis, cystitis and urethritis) and to better knowledge of these plants, we are interested in the area of Al Haouz-Rhamna (central Morocco) which presents a rather important floristic richness due to varied climatic and ecological factors. The ethnobotanical surveys, based on 1700 interviews, were conducted during two periods in 2012 and 2013, among actors of the traditional medicine and the population of this region. This study led to identify and establish a catalog of 135 plant species are distributed between 106 genera and 50 families, with important predominance: Lamiaceae, Apiaceae, Asteraceae and Fabacea. A total of 135 plants, 35 species were reported as the most efficient plants against urinary tract infections and 30 species were shown to be toxic. En the more, it is important to note that the majority of users of medicinal plants have limited knowledge in the field of traditional medicines and are unable to distinguish between the following urinary tract infections: pyelonephritis, cystitis and urethritis. Similarly, the majority of the recipes used in the treatment of urinary tract infections is presented in association with two or more species and are prepared as decoction (55.81%) from different parts of medicinal plants. The information reported by this study could be a very valuable source of information for the study area and may also be a synthetic approach that can form the basis for phytochemists and pharmacologists interested in research on plants used in the treatment of urinary tract infections and as a base for future generations.
Keywords: Al Haouz-Rehamna, Pharmacology, Phytotherapy, Toxicity, Traditional Medicine, Urinary Infections.
