A brief overview on the historical use of medicinal plants in Algeria

EVERY CULTURE HAS A HISTORY OF USING medicinal plants to cure their ailments. In Algeria the use of medicinal plants is a thousand-year-old tradition. The first writings on medicinal plants in Algeria and in the Maghreb date back to the IX century when Ishâ-Ben-Amran (Doctor of the prince of Kairouan, Tunisia) left various treaties on medicine, simple drugs, Abou-Abdallah el Bekry, author of a book on important plants of Andalusia and of a description of North Africa and Abdallah-Ben-Lounès a very skilful doctor born in Oran, who described the use of many medicinal plants.

For the XI century one can mention El-Idrissy, born in Ceuta (Morocco) erudite geographer and well known botanist, who described in its treaty of simple, the names and the use of numerous medicinal plants. In addition, Abou-Djafar, called Errafequy, described in its book on the simples many medicinal species and gave their Berber name.

The XII century is one of the most prolific period with Dhya-Eddin, called Ennabâty (the botanist), better known under the name of Ibn-el-Beithar and who gives an extremely remarkable account of its plant collection in Spain , in the Maghreb, in Egypt and in Persia . The author describes more than 1500 species. Its "Djami-el-Mofridat" (collection of simple) is regarded as one of its most valuable piece of work on medicinal drugs and related plants. Ibn-el-Beithar also produced a book “The Morny” (Sufficient book) on botany applied to therapeutic.

Other authors can be mentioned such as Abou-Abd-Allah-Ennedroumy (from Nedroma) who summarised the work of Gazzaly, Abou-el-Abbas-Ben-Roumya, called Ennabaty (the botanist), who described in “Rihla” (Voyage) its plant collections in Spain, in the Maghreb, Arabia, Syria and Perse. Issa-Ben- Mohamed -El-Arnathy treats in its "El qafl aou El Miftah fi Aslah el Adjessam aou el-Arouah (the key for the health of the body and the Soul) diseases, food and drugs, Mohamed-Ben-Ibrahim, publishes a compendium in 12 volumes on the treatment of diseases.

The XIV century distinguished authors like Issa-Ben-Mohamed -El Amoury, who wrote a treaty on medicine “The key of treatment”, in 3 volumes and Mohamed-Ben-Ibrahim, known as Ibn-Esserradj who wrote several works on medicine and botany. For the XV century one can mention Abou-Abd-Allah-Mohamed-Ben-Youssef-Ben Amr-essenoussi, born in Tlemcen, who wrote a comment on Avicenne and a treaty on the secrets of medicine.

During the XVI century, one can quote El Hassan-Ben-Mohamed -Ben-Ouazzan-El-Fassy (from Fès), better known under the name of Leon the African, who published a description of Africa in which he described the natural resources of the region, El Ghassani, who in his work " Hadikat el azhar fi charh ma hiya el âachab oua el âakakir " (Garden of plants to explain medicinal herbs and spices) provided the botanical descriptions of many useful plants.

Few works are published in the Maghreb during the XVII century while the XVIII century distinguished Abderrazâq Eddezaïry (from Algiers), author of a famous medical treaty "Kachef erroumouz fi charh el aquaquir oua el-achâab" (Revelation of the enigmas to explain the use of drugs and plants). The author described in his work many plants, giving their traditional name and their synonyms.

The science of hypothesis testing and the experimental approach in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries paved the way for the beginning of the use of drugs from common plants, (Aspirin, Digitalis, Ergot, Opium, Quinine) to minerals, (Boric Acid, Epsom Salts, Iodine) or synthetic compounds. As a consequence a very weak production of books on medicinal plants during that period is found in the Algerian literature.

During the French colonisation, from 1830 to 1962, work of famous botanists such as Trabut, Battandier and Maire made it possible to catalogue a great number of species considered as medicinal. As well as their undeniable contribution to botany in Algeria , these authors systematically consigned the information on the use of medicinal plants collected during their fieldwork. A book on medicinal and aromatic plants of Algeria is published in 1942. The authors, Fourment and Roques, mentioned 200 medicinal and aromatic species giving the description of the part used, the use, the period of collection and the vernacular names in French, Arabic and Berber. Most of the plants described are from the northern parts of Algeria and only 6 are found in the Sahara.

The use of medicinal plants, such as Artemisia herba-alba, Pistacia lentiscus, Paronychia argentea, to mention only some among the most common, is still largely used by rural populations. In the same way a renewed interest for medicinal plants in cities is noticed via an important sale increase of medicinal plants in pharmacies.

In relation to the continuous use of medicinal plants, it is noticeable that over the last 50-60 years interest in medicinal plants in Algeria has been shown by individuals, via research (Lasry, 1937, Doreau, 1961, Belguedj, 1966, Merad-Chiali, 1973, Brette, 1986). Most frequently, surveys are undertaken throughout the country by students writing up their thesis or dedicated pharmacists and doctors. The main problem is that these works are never published and this explains the very low production of books on the traditional use of plants.

With regard to the great diversity of medicinal plants in Algeria and their use, a synthesis of all the information gathered on the national scale should rapidly be undertaken. The most recent published work on medicinal plants are the books written by Beloued (1998) and Baba Aissa (1999).

Recently, several universities have undertaken in depth research on medicinal plants to understand the functioning of active molecules (Gheyouche et al. 1990, Hamdi-Pacha et al. 1993, Smati et al. 1993, Laredj et al. 2004, Hadef et al. 2004).

References:

Abderrezaq El-Djazairi, Ben Hamdûch. Kechf erroumouz fi bayan el aâchab. 1928. Edition Imprimerie Ethaâlibiya, Alger, pp. 168.

Ajhoun, M. 1982. La pharmacopée saharienne (essai bibliographique) - Mémoire, Ecole d'Anthropologie de Paris, 35p.

Baba Aissa, F., 1999. Encyclopédie des plantes utiles. Flore d'Algérie et du Maghreb. Edition Edas. pp. 368.

Battandier J. & Trabut, L. 1889. Plantes médicinales. Essences et parfums. Giralt, Imprimeur du Gouvernement Général. pp 40.

Battandier J. & Trabut, L. 1904. Flore analytique et synoptique de l'Algérie. Ed. Jourdan et Ed. Vve Girault. pp. 753.

Belguedj, M.S. 1966. La médecine traditionnelle dans le constantinois . Thèse de Doctorat es-lettres, Faculté des Lettres et des Sciences humaines de Strasbourg., pp.264.

Beloued A. 1998. Plantes médicinales d'Algérie. Office des Publications Universitaires. pp. 277.

Benchelah, A.C., Bouziane, H., Maka, M. & Ouahes, C., 2000. Fleurs du Sahara. Voyage ethnobotanique avec les touaregs du Tassili. Ed. Ibis Press, Paris. pp. 255.

Ben Larbey Seguir M. 1884. La médecine arabe en Algérie. Faculté de médecine, Paris, pp. 530.

Brette, J.P. 1986. Phytothérapie traditionnelle kabyle : de l'utilisation des plantes médicinales en Grande Kabylie algérienne et de l'actualité des traditions. Thèse de Doctorat en médecine, Université René Descartes, Paris.

Cheriti, A., Rouissat, A., Sekkoum K. & Balansard, G. 1995. Plantes de la pharmacopée traditionnelle dans la région d'El Bayadh (Algérie). Fitoterapia. Vol. 66(6) : 525-538.

Claisse, R. 1996. Médecine traditionnelle du Maghreb . Paris, Ed. L'Harmattan, pp 169. Doreau, M., 1961. Considérations actuelles sur l'alimentation ainsi que sur la pharmacopée traditionnelle et sur la thérapeutique traditionnelle au Sahara. Thèse de Doctorat en médecine, Université de Strasbourg.

Fourment, P. & Roques, H. 1942. Répertoire des plantes médicinales et aromatiques d'Algérie. Documents et renseignements agricoles. Bulletin n° 61, pp. 159. Alger.

Hadef Y., Kaloustian J, Giordani R, Chefrour A., Portugal H. & Rahmani M. 2004. Composition chimique et activité antifongique des huiles essentielles de Thymus vulgaris L. et de Thymus numidicus Poiret d'Algérie. Actes des 1ère Journée du Département de Pharmacie, Annaba, 8 et 9 décembre 2004.

Hamdi-Pacha Y., Benyache F. Benayache, S., Benazzouz, M., Smati, F. & Benchouala, C. 1993. Caractérisation moléculaire et effet anti-bactérien de quelques plantes algériennes: Inula viscosa L. et Centaurea pullata L. Journal Algérien de Médecine vol 3 (3):183-186.

Gheyouche, R., Hammiche, V., Lazli, F., Bakhti, B., Mansouri, M., 1990. Étude phytochimique et pharmacologique du bouton floral de Myrtus communis. Ethnopharmacologie : sources, méthodes, objectifs, Paris, Metz, ORSTOM et SFE, pp. 464.

Laredj H., Djahoudi A, Chefrour A. & Chemli R. 2004. Plantes médicinales: Extraction des huiles essentielles et détermination de leur activité anti-bactérienne. Actes des 1ère Journée du Département de Pharmacie, Annaba, 8 et 9 décembre 2004.

Lasry A. 1937. Histoire de la pharmacie indigène de l'Algérie et son folklore . Thèse de doctorat en pharmacie, Université d'Alger. Imprimé à Oran, Imprimerie Achour.

Maiza K, Brac de la Perrière R.A., Hammiche V. 1995. Pharmacopée traditionnelle algérienne. Revue Méd. Pharm. Afr. Vol 9 (1) : 71-78.

Merad-Chiali, R. 1973. Contribution à la connaissance de la pharmacopée traditionnelle algérienne (les éventaires du Grand Alger). Thèse de doctorat d'état en pharmacie, Institut des sciences médicales d'Alger.

Narbonne, G. 1940. Contribution à l'étude des Ephedra : Ephedra nord-africains et leurs alcaloïdes. Thèse Doctorat, Univ. Dd'Alger (Pharmacie), pp. 120.

Smati, D., Hammiche, V., Nehari, H., Alamir, B. and Merad, R. 1993. Zygophyllum geslini Coss.: chemical investigation hypoglycemic activity. Acta Hort. (ISHS) 332:243-248.

Trabut, L 1935. Répertoires des noms indigènes des plantes spontanées, cultivées et utilisées dans le Nord de l'Afrique. Collection du Centenaire de l'Algérie, Alger, pp. 355.