Traditional use of medicinal plants in Jablanica district (South-Eastern Serbia): ethnobotanical survey and comparison with scientific data

Abstract

Ethnobotanical survey presents the first step in the identification of new bioactive compounds. This study aimed to collect, document and analyse data on the traditional use of medicinal plants in Jablanica district (South-Eastern Serbia) and to compare traditional knowledge with scientifically proven data. Ethnobotanical study was carried out using semi-structured interviews with 103 informants. Discussion of the results was performed after the quantitative ethnobotany factors were calculated. Comparison of the data was done with those of European Medicines Agency (EMA), Yugoslav Pharmacopoeia 1984 (Ph. Jug. IV) and relevant scientific papers. The informants reported data on 89 medicinal plants belonging to 49 families in Jablanica district. The dominantly used families were Lamiaceae and Asteraceae, while Hypericum perforatum L., Mentha × piperita L. and Matricaria chamomilla L. were the species with the highest number of use reports. The most frequently reported indications were respiratory, gastrointestinal, dermatologic, and psychological diseases. The species with most diverse uses were Taraxacum campylodes G.E.Haglund, Achillea millefolium L. and Rosa canina L. According to our results, medicinal plants in Jablanica district are mainly used for treating minor health issues as a mode of primary health care. The wide application of species belonging to Lamiaceae and Asteraceae families can be partially attributed to the fact that many cosmopolitan medicinal plant species belongs to these families and also to their predominance in the flora of Jablanica districts.