Abstract

In the aim of gather informations on medicinal uses of Mentha rotundifolia in the extreme northeastern of Algeria and safeguard cultural heritage, an ethobotanical survey was conducted in El Tarf area (North-East of Algeria). Our field study was carried between January and May 2020. Data were collecting by interviewing local informants using semi-structured questionnaires. Demographic features of informants; life form, part used, methods of preparation, modes of application and ethnomedicinal uses were documented. Data were analyzed and compared to Algerian literature. The use value index (UVd) was used to calculate the citation of diseases only for single plant species. A total of 200 persons were interviewed; women dominates. About 45% were between 40-60 years. It was recorded that leaves were the most commonly used plant part, while infusion was the most common method of traditional drug preparation. The results found that the plant has a long history of therapy for 11 different types of ailments and diseases. The high UVd value were for gastrointestinal problems, fever and headache (0.63, 0.29 and 0.26 respectively).The present study highlighted that Mentha rotundifolia is one of the valuable wild plant that grown naturally in Algeria and plays a vital role in health in this area. These informations could be useful in novel drug discovery and to validate the ethomendicinal knowledge.

Key words: Medicinal plants, Mentha rotundifolia, ethnobotany, El Tarf, Algeria.