J Ethnopharmacol. 2015 Sep 13. pii: S0378-8741(15)30127-6. doi: 10.1016/j.jep.2015.09.002. [Epub ahead of print]
Abstract
ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:
This
study documents the ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal importance of
plants in the Suva planina mountain region (south-eastern Serbia). It is
reflected in their high diversity and their wide range of uses in the
treatment of the local population. The aim of this study was a
comparative analysis of data collected in the Suva planina region with
relevant data from the Western Balkans, which included identifying the
'most popular' plants, as well as those species which are used
specifically for treatment solely in the research area.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Ethnobotanical
research was carried out between 2012 and 2014 and data was collected
through both open and semi-structured interviews with locals. A total of
66 people were interviewed (37 women and 29 men), aged between 49 and
90 (with a mean age of 71).
RESULTS:
This study identified 128 plants and 2 fungi which are used in ethnomedicine, 5 plant species used in ethnoveterinary
medicine, and 16 plants used for 'other' purposes. Lamiaceae (20),
Asteraceae (17), Rosaceae (16), Brassicaceae (5), Alliaceae (4) and
Apiaceae (4) have the greatest diversity of species. Results showed that
Achillea mellefolium, Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Arctostaphyllos
uva-ursi, Gentiana lutea, Hypericum perforatum, Juglans regia,
Matricaria chamomilla, Mentha piperita, Plantago lanceolata, Plantago
major, Salvia officinalis, Sempervivum tectorum, Tilia cordata and
Thymus sepyllum are the 'most popular' medicinal plants (UV=1). Those
plants with the most phytotherapeutic uses are Gentiana cruciata (14),
Hypericum perforatum (11) and Allium sativum (10), while the most common
conditions treated with medicinal plants are respiratory (79),
urogenital (53), gastrointestinal (51), skin (43) and those relating to
the circulatory system (35). A comparative analysis of the data
collected in the research area and that from other parts of the Western
Balkans showed that there are great similarities within Serbia between
Suva planina and the Zlatibor region (37.2%) and Kopaonik Mt. (32.3%),
while further afield it is most similar to Bosnia and Herzegovina
(40.9%) and Bulgaria (40.6%). Moreover, it was established that 14 plant
species and 2 fungi are used only in the Suva planina region, which
points to the specificity of the diversity and the sound knowledge of
medicinal plants in this region.
CONCLUSIONS:
Our
results confirm that medicinal plants are an invaluable resource of the
research area and need to be protected as they contribute to an
improvement in living standards and the survival of people threatened by
unfavourable demographic trends. However, due to over-exploitation,
some plants have become exceptionally rare and are under threat, leading
to the need for their rational use and protection so as to ensure they
are still around for future generations.
Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
KEYWORDS:
Ethnobotany; Medicinal plant diversity; Suva planina (Serbia); Traditional plant uses
