An Ethnopharmacological Survey and Antioxidant Properties of Medicinal Plants Used to Treat Cutaneous Leishmaniasis in Central Morocco: Health Professionals’ Knowledge of Local Community Use

The Marrakech–Safi region, located in the center of Morocco, is a focus of cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL), which leads to a major public health problem. This pioneering study aimed to document the medicinal plants used for treating CL and evaluate their antioxidant activity in the research area using the DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picryl-hydrazyl-hydrate) free radical method. This activity is crucial in protecting cells from damage. Besides, an online ethnopharmacological survey addressed public health professionals in the Marrakech–Safi region, focusing on knowledge about anti-CL plants used by the local population. As a result, an aggregate of 18 plant species belonging to 11 families was mentioned, with the Lamiaceae family being the most represented. Although Ocinum basilicum L. (24.77%) is the population’s most widely used species in traditional medicine to treat CL. Artemisia herba-alba aerial methanolic extract has higher antioxidant activity with a half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) equal to 3.27 ± 0.01 μg/mL, characterized by a high camphor content (25.7%) as determined by gas chromatography coupled with flame ionization detection analysis. Finally, it was determined that most medicinal plants widely used in the study area could be a source of a novel pharmacological treatment for CL with a dual approach; however, further research is necessary to confirm antileishmanial activity.