MEDICINAL PLANTS USED FOR THE TRADITIONAL MANAGEMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS IN THE REGION OF TIARET, ALGERIA

Traditional and complementary medicines constitute an important source for the management of various illnesses including diabetes, one of the major endocrine problems that is very prevalent worldwide. The aim of this study is to identify and document medicinal plants used by diabetic patients in Algerian ethnopharmacology for the management of diabetes mellitus. Semi-structured interviews with 260 diabetic patients were realized in in the region of Tiaret (Algeria) during the period 2018-2022. Results revealed the use of 45 medicinal plants belonging to 43 genera and 26 families. The most represented botanical families are Lamiaceae, Apiaceae, and Fabaceae. However, the most cited plant species are Cinnamomum verum J. Presl, Olea europaea L., Trigonella foenum-graecum L., Coriandrum sativum L., Artemisia herba-alba Asso., Lupinus albus L., Berberis vulgaris L., Boswellia sacra Flueck, and Ajuga iva (L.) Schreb. Aerial part and seeds represent the most used plant parts. The indicated plants are consumed raw directly or are taken in form of infusion or decoction. Our findings are relevant to deliver background base to search for novel molecules for diabetes therapy.