Ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in the Adrar Province, Mauritania.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Mauritania is a country in which few ethnobotanical studies have been conducted and consequently the ethnomedical data is scarce. Since the geographical region reflects the transition between tropical and Northern Africa, influenced by the Mediterranean floristic region, the traditional knowledge was influenced by several cultures from tropical Africa as well as Arab, Berber and Islamic societies. AIM OF THE STUDY: This paper aims to explore and compile the diversity of ethnomedical knowledge in one of the regions of Mauritania and to compare the data with similar studies from surrounding territories. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Surveys and interviews were carried out in 11 villages of Adrar province in northern Mauritania. Data were collected through open, semi-structured interviews (with individuals and focus groups). A sample of 120 people aged between 20 and 70 years, including 24 herbalists and 28 traditional healers was included. RESULTS: Ethnomedical data for 68 plant species belonging to 27 families were obtained. They are used to treat 50 health conditions grouped in 14 pathological groups. Remedies for digestive system disorders, skin problems and respiratory ailments were among the most frequent indications. Leaves were the most frequently used plant part and remedies generally used as a powder for the various applications and a total of 2'317 use reports were gathered. About 55% of the reported species were not cited previously in the literature focusing on Mauritania and neighbouring countries. Moreover, only 6 species are also cited by Ibn al-Baytar (13th century CE). CONCLUSIONS: This work shows a promising perspective for future studies, shedding light on the richness and the risk for conservation of traditional knowledge of herbal medicine in Mauritania.

Cannabis cultivation within a religious context: A case study of Ghomara in the Rif Mountain (Northern Morocco).

To understand the relationship between Muslim religious attitudes and the growing/consumption of cannabis, we surveyed 251 residents and conducted interviews in Northern Morocco. The local population is Ghomarian, an ethnic group of Berber heritage that experienced socioeconomic marginalization. Cannabis is grown throughout the region, despite Islamic legal code (shari'a) that makes cannabis, like any substances that alter consciousness, illicit (haram). The survey aimed to gather (a) the perceptions of the local population toward the cultivation of cannabis and its consumption and (b) their attitudes and intention to abandon or to continue this activity despite its unlawful aspect under Islamic legislation (Shari'a). Qualitative interviews provide additional understanding of the rationales of people in the region about cannabis cultivation in the context of religion. The investigation revealed the complexity of how religious beliefs, socioeconomic marginalization, and immoral/illegal economic practices overlap and coexist in Ghomara Region (or in Northern Morocco).

Comparison of Lamiaceae medicinal uses in eastern Morocco and eastern Andalusia and in Ibn al-Baytar's Compendium of Simple Medicaments (13th century CE).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Transmission of traditional knowledge over time and across culturally and historically related territories is an important topic in ethnopharmacology. Here, we contribute to this knowledge by analysing data on medicinal uses in two neighbouring areas of the Western Mediterranean in relation to a historical text that has been scarcely mentioned in historical studies despite its interest. AIM OF THE STUDY: This paper discusses the sharing of popular knowledge on the medicinal uses of plants between eastern Morocco and eastern Andalusia (Spain), focusing on one of the most useful plant families in the Mediterranean area: Lamiaceae. Moreover, we used the classical work of Ibn al-Baytar (13th century CE) The Compendium of Simple Medicaments and Foods as a basis to contrast the possible link of this information, analysing the influence of this historical text on current popular tradition of medicinal plant use in both territories. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For data collection, we performed ethnobotanical field research in the eastern part of Morocco, recording current medicinal uses for the Lamiaceae. In addition, we systematically reviewed the ethnobotanical literature from eastern Andalusia, developing a database. We investigated the possible historical link of the shared uses and included in this database the information from Ibn al-Baytar's Compendium. To compare the similarity and diversity of the data, we used Jaccard's similarity index. RESULTS: Our field work provided ethnobotanical information for 14 Lamiaceae species with 95 medicinal uses, serving to treat 13 different pathological groups. Of the total uses recorded in Morocco, 30.5% were shared by eastern Andalusia and found in Ibn al-Baytar's work. There was a higher similarity when comparing current uses of the geographically close territories of eastern Morocco and eastern Andalucía (64%) than for eastern Morocco and this historical text (43%). On the other hand, coincidences between current uses in eastern Andalusia and the ones related in the Compendium are lower, 28%. CONCLUSIONS: The coincidence of the current ethnobotanical knowledge in the two territories is high for the Lamiaceae. Probably the shared historical background, recent exchanges, information flow, and the influence of the historical herbal texts have influenced this coincidence. In this sense, there is a high plant-use overlap between Ibn al-Baytar's text and both territories: nearly half of the uses currently shared by eastern Morocco and eastern Andalusia were included in the Compendium and are related to this period of Islamic medicine, indicating a high level of preservation in the knowledge of plant usage. The study of 14 species of Lamiaceae suggests that this classical codex, which includes a high number of medicinal plants and uses, constitutes a valuable bibliographical source for comparing ancient and modern applications of plants.

Changes on metabolic parameters induced by acute cannabinoid administration (CBD, THC) in a rat experimental model of nutritional vitamin A deficiency.

INTRODUCTION: Vitamin A deficiency can result from malnutrition, malabsorption of vitamin A, impaired vitamin metabolism associated with liver disease, or chronic debilitating diseases like HIV infection or cancer. BACKGROUND & AIMS: Cannabis administration has been described as a palliative symptom management therapy in such pathological stages. Therefore, this research aimed to study the effects of acute administration of cannabidiol (CBD) or thetrahydrocannabinol (THC) on the levels of retinol in plasma and in the liver, and biochemical parameters related to lipid and glucose metabolism (cholesterolaemia, triglyceridemia and glycemia) in a rat experimental model of vitamin A deficiency. METHODS: The experimental animal model of Vitamin A deficiency was developed during a 50-day experimental period in which rats consumed a vitamin A-free diet. Cannabidiol (10 mg/kg body weight) or thetrahydrocannabinol (5 mg/kg body weight) were administered intraperitoneally 2 hours prior to sacrifice of the animals. RESULTS: The nutritional deficiency caused a significant decrease in plasmatic and liver contents of retinol and biochemical parameters of glycemic, lipidic, and mineral metabolism. Acute intraperitoneal administration of Cannabidiol and thetrahydrocannabinol did not improve the indices of vitamin A status in either control or vitamin A-deficient rats. However, it had a significant effect on specific biochemical parameters such as glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol. CONCLUSION: Under our experimental conditions, the reported effects of cannabinoid administration on certain signs of nutritional vitamin A deficiency appeared to be mediated through mechanisms other than changes in retinol metabolism or its mobilization after the acute administration of such compounds.

Introducción: La deficiencia en vitamina A está asociada a la malnutrición, malabsorción de este nutriente, metabolismo alterado de vitaminas por enfermedad hepática, o enfermedades crónicas debilitantes como VIH, cáncer o infección. La administración de cannabis ha sido descrita como una terapia eficaz en el tratamiento sintomático de determinadas manifestaciones de la deficiencia nutricional en vitamina A y de diversas enfermedades crónicas debilitantes. Objetivos: El objetivo de este trabajo era estudiar el efecto de la administración de tetrahidrocannabinol (THC) y cannabidiol (CBD) sobre las concentraciones plasmáticas y hepáticas de retinol y sobre parámetros bioquímicos relacionados con el metabolismo glucídico y lipídico (colesterolemia, trigliceridemia, glucemia) en un modelo experimental de rata deficiente en vitamina A. Métodos: El modelo experimental de deficiencia en vitamina A se desarrolló durante un periodo experimental de 50 días en los que las ratas consumieron una dieta libre en vitamina A. La administración de tetrahidrocannabinol (THC) (10 mg/kg peso corporal) y cannabidiol (CBD) (5 mg/kg peso corporal) se llevo a cabo por vía intraperitoneal 2 horas antes del sacrificio de los animales al final del periodo experimental. Resultados: La deficiencia nutricional en vitamina A causó un descenso significativo en el contenido plasmático y hepático de retinol y en parámetros bioquímicos de metabolismo glucídico, lipídico y mineral. La administración intraperitoneal aguda de tetrahidrocannabinol y cannabidiol no mejoró los índices de estado nutricional de vitamina A en ratas deficientes o control. Sin embargo, tuvo un efecto significativo sobre parámetros bioquímicos específicos como la glucemia, colesterolemia y trigliceridemia. Conclusión: Bajo nuestras condiciones experimentales, el efecto de la administración de cannabinoides sobre determinadas manifestaciones de la deficiencia en vitamina A parece estar mediada por mecanismos no relacionados con cambios en el metabolismo de retinol o su movilización tras la administración aguda de los compuestos cannabinoides ensayados.

Concerning kif, a Cannabis sativa L. preparation smoked in the Rif mountains of northern Morocco.

The aim of the present paper is to present information about a kif preparation smoked by the Moroccan population. Results are considered as an advance of our actual investigations undertaken in the Rif zone to observe an improvement in night vision after smoking kif [Ethan et al., 2002. International Cannabinoid Research Society (ICRS) meeting, in preparation].