Oral disorders and ethnobotanical treatments: A field study in the central Middle Atlas (Morocco)

The present study was conducted in the Moroccan central Middle Atlas in order to inventory the plants used in the treatment of oral diseases, as well as to document possible risks of intoxication. Thus, 58 herbalists in the region were surveyed to gather ethnomedical information about the plants used in natural remedies preparation. The expression of the data obtained was achieved through the calculation of different quantitative indices, such as: use value (UV), family use value (FUV), relative frequency of citation (RFC), fidelity level (FL), informant consensus factor (ICF) and plant part value (PPV). 29 plants were inventoried, among which, Ruta montana L. has the highest use value (UV) and fidelity level (FL) for the treatment of gingivitis, respectively, 0.431 and 43.10. Marrubium vulgare L. has the highest citation frequency (RFC = 0.448). Whereas, Ammi visnaga (L.) Lam. had the highest value of the informant consensus factor (ICF = 0.846) as the most used species for the treatment of high number of oral pathologies and dental abscesses. Furthermore, the leaves generally prepared by decoction and administered by gargle constitute the most used part of the plant (PPV = 54.05). But, several plants recommended for the treatment of oral diseases are dangerous; in fact, Marrubium vulgare L., Atractylis gummifera L., Anacyclus pyrethrum L., Ruta montana L. and Peganum harmala L. were reported to be toxic by all the respondents. So, in spite of the virtues of medicinal plants, the toxic potential of some of them requires great vigilance in their therapeutic use.