PHARMACOLOGICAL AND MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF PLANTS COLLECTED IN THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES OF EL-JADIDA, SAFI AND AZEMMOUR (MOROCCO)

Abstract Plants have been exploited since the dawn of time for their medicinal properties; they contain bioactive compounds that can be very beneficial to humans. Plants from the archaeological sites of Mazagan, Safi and Azemmour are sometimes anarchically uprooted for this purpose by the local population. This can cause serious damage to ancient buildings. The objective of this work is to identify the pharmacological and medicinal properties of vascular plants that grow on the base and surfaces of ancient walls. Thus, for each recorded plant, we try to capitalize on the data from publications found on various platforms. Thus, among 79 plant species found, 65 plants have antioxidant properties, 38 have anti-inflammatory properties, 27 have antimicrobial properties, 24 have anticancer properties, 23 have antidiabetic properties, 21 have cytotoxic properties, 15 are hepatoprotective, 12 are analgesic, 11 have antiviral properties, 11 have neuroprotective properties, 8 plants have cardioprotective properties, 8 have antiproliferative properties, 7 have antidiarrheal properties and 6 species have antipyretic properties. There are other medicinal properties recorded such as antirheumatic, antitoxic, anti-hepatitis C, anti-aging, anti-Alzheimer's, anti-asthma, anti-hyperlipidemic, anxiolytic, antifungal, antitumor, antiplasmody, antimutagenic, antigenotoxic, etc. All these properties justify the uses of these plants for medicinal purposes. They should be removed using methods that respect the substrate otherwise they can be uprooted by the local population in such a way as to destabilize the very structure of old buildings.