Ethnobotanical Survey of Medicinal Plants Used in the Traditional Treatment of Depression and Anxiety in Fez-Meknes Region

Abstract

Depression and anxiety represent a major mental health problem in the world. The majority of Moroccan people use traditional medicine for their health needs, including various forms of depression and anxiety. The aim of this work is to make an inventory of plant species used in folk medicine for the management of depression and anxiety in Fez-Meknes regions. Established questionnaires were administered to 243 interviews in 4 communities within Fez-Meknes region. With traditional health practitioners, herbalists and consumer. Plant species belonging to 31 families were reported. The most frequently cited families are Lamiaceae followed by Asteraceae, Apiaceae and Verbenaceae. Leaves were the major plant parts used forming 58% solely and 73 mixed with other parts. This was followed by seeds (17%), flowers (6%), roots (2%) and fruits and bark (1% each). The current survey represents a useful documentation, which can use to preserve knowledge on the use of medicinal plants in this region and to explore the phytochemical and pharmacological potential of medicinal plants.