Inventaire ethnobotanique des plantes médicinales employées dans la prise en charge traditionnelle des trouble thyroïdiennes dans la wilaya de Ain Temouchent

Abstract

Phytotherapy, based on the use of medicinal plants for therapeutic purposes, occupies an important place in the traditional practices of many populations. This dissertation adopts an ethnobotanical approach to inventory the medicinal plants used in the wilaya of Ain Témouchent for the traditional management of thyroid disorders, identify the methods of preparation and administration employed, and evaluate the sociocultural factors influencing these therapeutic practices. The ethnobotanical survey was conducted among 120 informants distributed across several municipalities of Ain Témouchent using a structured questionnaire. The collected data concerned the sociocultural characteristics of the participants, the plants used, the exploited plant parts, preparation methods, routes of administration, and the thyroid disorders treated. The obtained results revealed a widespread use of medicinal plants among the studied population, with a predominance of women estimated at 87% compared to 13% of men. Elderly people over 60 years old represented the most involved category in the use and transmission of traditional knowledge. The study allowed the identification of 20 plant species belonging to 14 botanical families, mainly dominated by the Lamiaceae, Amaranthaceae, and Zingiberaceae family. Hyperthyroidism (37%) and hypothyroidism (34%) were the most frequently treated disorders. Leaves were the most commonly used plant parts (46%), while infusion was the principal preparation method (52%), followed by decoction and powdered preparations. Most medicinal plants were administered orally and mainly used in dried form for better preservation. Most users reported an improvement in their health condition after using medicinal plants, confirming the importance of phytotherapy in local traditional medicine. However, some participants reported side effects or lack of efficacy, highlighting the need for further scientific studies to validate the efficacy and safety of the recorded species. This study highlights the richness of the ethnobotanical heritage of the Ain Témouchent region and confirms the importance of phytotherapy in the traditional management of thyroid disorders. It also emphasizes the necessity of preserving this ancestral knowledge and encouraging further scientific research to promote local medicinal plants.