Medicinal plants used in the treatment of diabetes in Morocco

The present review shows a listing of medicinal plants used in phytotherapy of diabetes and those experimentally studied as hypoglycaemic in Morocco. The review is presented as 3 tables. The first one includes the taxonomic classification of the plant, the popular names in Morocco, the parts used, the mode of preparation and the other medicinal uses and toxicity. The second table summarises the experiments done by Moroccan researchers to confirm the hypoglycemic activity of the medicinal plants. It also describes the methodology used, and the magnitude of the hypoglycemic activity. The third table lists the toxicological studies carried out with plants reported to be toxic. The large number of plants described in this review (94 species belonging to 38 families) demonstrated the prevalence of phytotherapy in Morocco. The plant families which contained the most commonly used species for their antidiabetic effects are: Compositae (18 species), Lamiaceae (14 sp.), Leguminosae (8 sp.), Liliaceae (5 sp.), Apiaceae (5 sp.), and Graminae (4 sp.). Among these medicinal plants, 17 are toxic, the most known being: Daphne gnidium, Nerium oleander, Ferula communis, Peganum harmala and Citrullus colocynthis.