Ethnopharmacological survey of medicinal plant knowledge in boumerdes, algeria: traditional usage patterns and therapeutic applications

Abstract

This ethnopharmacological survey documents the persistence of traditional plant knowledge in Boumerdes, Algeria. Through systematic interviews with 900 participants, quantitative analysis revealed distinct user profiles: predominantly women (52.1%) aged 50-70 years (39.0%), with inverse correlation to education level. Integration with conventional medicine was reported by 47% of users, motivated by perceived efficacy (41.5%) and safety (35.7%). Botanical inventory identified 263 species across 91 families, dominated by Lamiaceae (22.3%). Primary therapeutic applications targeted digestive (32.3%), respiratory (19.9%), and dermatological (11.5%) disorders. These findings validate the cultural resilience of traditional healthcare practices and underscore the imperative for phytochemical validation of documented species.