COVID-19, prevention and treatment with herbal medicine in the herbal markets of Salé Prefecture, North-Western Morocco.

Introduction: Coronaviruses are important animal and human pathogens. Towards the end of 2019, the novel coronavirus identified in Wuhan, China, presented as a cluster of symptoms of pneumonia. Its quick spread resulted in a global pandemic. This research documents detailed ethnopharmacological information on the medicinal plant species used by herbalists against coronavirus disease.

Methods: The study was conducted in Salé Prefecture, from March 1st, 2020 to May 31st, 2020. Semi-structured face to face interviews were held with 30 herbalists and collected; socio-demographic characteristics, the names of local species, and traditional remedies being used. The data were analyzed through the use reports (UR) and medicinal use value (MUV).

Results: In total, 20 plant species from 20 genera and 14 families had been most frequently used by herbalists from Salé Prefecture for the prevention and treatment of COVID 19. The most mentioned plant was Labill., followed by A. Juss,. and (L.) Lam. Moreover, the most commonly used plant parts for herbal preparations were leaves (28.43%) and seeds (17.5%), and the majority of remedies were prepared through infusion.

Conclusions: The present study is the first contribution to the ethnopharmacological profile of this Prefecture. It is recommended that the constituents of indigenous species be studied to determine the therapeutic effects and mechanisms of action. However, attention must be paid to the conservation of medicinal species, comprehensively documenting traditional medicinal knowledge as well as conducting phytochemical validation of reported plants.