Diabetes prevalence is rising globally, including in Morocco, where traditional medicine plays a crucial role. The review catalogs 310 plant species from 84 families used in diabetes treatment. The authors analyze preparation methods and plant parts utilized, highlighting Morocco's ethnopharmacological landscape. Between June 2022 and January 2023, they surveyed literature from Elsevier and PubMed (1980-2022). The results reveal diverse plant species with antidiabetic potential. However, further research is essential to identify active compounds and validate efficacy for integration into modern healthcare practices.
Top1. Introduction
Diabetes is a chronic disease that can occur when the pancreas does not produce sufficient insulin or when the body becomes unable to effectively use the insulin produced. High blood sugar levels, also known as hyperglycemia, is a common consequence of uncontrolled diabetes and over time it causes serious damage to many of the body's systems, including the nerves and blood vessels (Roglik et al., 2013). The common symptoms of diabetes include itching, excessive thirst, weight loss, increased hunger, wasting, blurry vision, increased urination, rapid heartbeat, and low blood pressure (Barkaoui et al., 2017).
Diabetes is a major public health problem which affects millions of people in the world. In addition, it has been predicted that the number of people affected by diabetes will increase to 300 million by 2025. In Morocco, Diabetes is considered as a real social scourge with severe consequences in terms of morbidity and mortality (OMS,2021); it causes more than 24,000 deaths each year; the prevalence of diabetes has increased from 108 million in 1980 to 425 million in 2017 (Kehailou et al., 2019). According to the International Diabetes Federation (IDF), the prevalence of type II diabetes was 463 million in 2019, and it is projected to reach approximately 700 million by the year 2045 (Kehailou et al., 2021).
Nowadays, despite advances in modern medicine, there is a growing interest regarding the consumption of medicinal plants. According to the WHO more than 80% of the population relies on herbal medicines for their health needs especially in the underdeveloped countries (Abouri et al., 2012). These remedies may have therapeutic effects and can be an affordable and accessible option, but also come with potential toxic side-effects (Kee et al., 1994).
Medicinal plants are widely used in the treatment of numerous pathologies and are included in the composition of several medications (Farh et al., 2018); In Morocco, the use of medicinal plants to treat chronic diseases, such as diabetes mellitus is part of an ancient tradition. Several authors have emphasized this practice, and studies carried out in different regions have shown that the use of plants to treat these chronic diseases is very widespread (Ziyyat et al., 1997).
Morocco is well known for its rich vegetation, medicinal plants biodiversity, geographical and climatic conditions (Msanda et al., 2005; Ouhaddou et al., 2014) making it a prime location for the study of traditional pharmacopoeia. As diabetes imposes a significant economic burden, there is a growing interest in the use of medicinal plants for its treatment, especially as there is no evidence of resistance to whole-plant extracts (Roglik et al., 2013).
It is essential to document the medicinal component of Morocco's flora for conservation and sustainable use (Abouri et al., 2012), where the disease is a growing public health problem, and the plant biodiversity provides a wealth of potential therapeutic options (Giannenas et al., 2020).
This review focuses on the traditional use of medicinal plants known for their antidiabetic effect in Morocco by the Moroccan society and aims to present a comprehensive overview of ethnobotanical field works published between 1991 and 2015. The objective is to synthesize separate ethnobotanical studies and provide a document that reflects the profile of ethnobotany, including the background of traditional plant use and the underlying principles and practical applications of the field.