Herbalists and wild medicinal plants in M'Sila (North Algeria): an ethnopharmacology survey.

Ethnopharmacological Relevance: The main aim of this study was to identify, catalogue and document the large number of wild medicinal plants used in the M'Sila region (northern Algeria) for the treatment of several human pathologies. Another more ambitious aim is to contribute to overcoming the limits of an orally transmitted pharmacopoeia, attempting to exploit the large ethnopharmacology patrimony of the region for further pharmacological purposes.

Materials And Methods: Our field study was carried out over a period of three years (2008-2010).

Compositional analysis and in vivo anti-diabetic activity of wild Algerian Marrubium vulgare L. infusion.

Marrubium vulgare (Lamiaceae) is a plant traditionally used for the treatment of diabetes in Algeria. Compositional analysis of the aqueous infusion revealed the presence of fifteen metabolites, all belonging to the class of polyphenols. Particularly, seven flavonoids have been detected, together with 5-caffeoylquinic (chlorogenic) acid in small amounts; the extract is dominated by the presence of a series of complex molecules, characterized as verbascoside (acteoside) derivatives.