Traditional medicine in Central Sahara: Pharmacopoeia of Tassili N'ajjer

Further to the previously reported ethnobotanical surveys of North-Sahara and Ahaggar [Maiza, K., Brac de]a Perriere, R.A., Bounaga, N., Hammiche, V., 1990. Usages traditionnels des plantes spontanees d'El Golea. Actes du Colloque de l'Association. Francaise pour la Conservation des Especes Vegetales, Mulhouse; Maiza, K., Harnmiche, V, Bounaga, N., Brac de la Perriere, R.A., 1992. Inventaire des plantes medicinales de trois regions d'Algdrie. Actes du Colloque International hommage Jean Pernes: Complexes d'especes, flux de genes, ressources genetiques des plantes. Paris, pp. 631-633; Maiza, K., Brac de la Pernee, R.A., Hammiche, V., 1993a. Traditional Saharian pharmacopoeia. Acta Horticulturae, I.S.H.S. 332, 37-42; Maiza, K., Brac de la Perriere, R.A., Hammiche, V., 1993b. Recents apports l'ethnopharmacologie du Sahara algerien: Actes du 2eme Colloque Europeen d'Ethnopharmacologie & 11eme Conference Internationale d'Ethnomedecine. Heidelberg, pp. 169-17 1; Maiza, K., Brac de la Perriere, R.A., Hammiche, V., 1995. Pharmacopee traditionnelle saharienne. Revue de Medecines et Pharmacopees Africaines, 9 (No. 1), 71-75; Maiza, K., Smati, D., Brac de la Perriere, R.A., et Hammiche, V., 2005. Pharmacop6e traditionnelle au Sahara Central: Pharmacop6e de I'Ahaggar. Retenu pour publication. Revue de Medecines et Pharmacopees Africaines.], we have now moved our investigations on Tassili N'Ajjer, another distinct region of the Southern Algerian Sahara. Ethnobotanic research has been carried out through interviews with nomad populations and the traditional pratictionners of recognised competence. To date, 80 wild indigenous medicinal plants have been identified and are currently used by the local population for various illnesses. Information on their vernacular Tamahaq and Arabic names, their flowering distribution, the parts used, the modes of preparation and routes of administration are reported and discussed in this paper. This work completes our investigation in Central Sahara. (c) 2005 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.