Ethnobotany of rural and urban Albanians and Serbs in the Anadrini region, Kosovo

Ethnobotanical Survey of Culturally Important Plants and Mushrooms in North-Western Part of Croatia

The Republic of Croatia is spread in geographical and climatic conditions that support a great diversity of habitats and associated plant taxa, many of which can be used for food or medicine. However, urbanization, loss of natural habitats, as well as changes in people's dependence on the natural resources from the surrounding environment may lead to the loss of valuable knowledge about the use of plants and mushrooms. With the aim of studying and preserving this knowledge in the continental north-western part of Croatia, an ethnobotanical survey was undertaken at the two study areas-Valpovo and Đurđevac, which included a total of 17 settlements. A total of 103 informants, 65% female and 35% male, aged between 22 and 83 years, participated in an interview using pre-planned questionnaires. The informants reported 131 plants belonging to 55 families and 17 mushroom taxa. The largest number of plants belonged to the families of Rosaceae, Lamiaceae, Asteraceae, and Apiaceae. In both areas, the informants cultivate and also gather wild plants, but these practices are better preserved in the area of Đurđevac where 109 taxa from 47 families were recorded. In addition to cultivated and gathered plants, informants from the Valpovo area also reported the use of purchased plants. Plants and mushrooms are mostly used as food (21 plant taxa and 17 mushrooms), but plants also serve as medicine (68 taxa), as both food and medicine (35 taxa), feed for cattle (11 taxa), repellent (four taxa), and/or space freshener (two taxa). The most frequently used wild plants are Chamomilla recutita, Mentha x piperita, and Urtica dioica, while Boletus edulis, Agaricus campestris, and Macrolepiota procera are the most often used mushrooms. The results indicate that the local people in the studied north-western part of Croatia still nurture the practice of cultivating and gathering plants and that herbal remedies are considerably important among the informants. The study should be further extended to broaden and preserve valuable ethnobotanical knowledge and encourage the protection of culturally important plants of the studied area.

Ethnobotanical and ethnomedicinal research into medicinal plants in the Mt Stara Planina region (south-eastern Serbia, Western Balkans)

BACKGROUND

Ethnobotanical research in Southeast Europe-one of the most important European hotspots for biocultural diversity-is significant for the acquisition of Traditional Ecological Knowledge related to plants as well as for encouraging the development of local environments. The current ethnobotanical research was conducted in the region of Mt Stara Planina (south-eastern Serbia), which is characterised by rich phytodiversity with a large number of endemic and relict plant species. The aim of the study was to document the diversity of uses of medicinal plants and of traditional knowledge on their therapeutic uses.

METHODS

Ethnobotanical data was collected through both open and semi-structured interviews with locals. Fifty-one inhabitants were interviewed (26 men and 25 women), aged 30-91, and data was analysed by means of use reports, citation frequency, use values (UV), and the informant consensus factor (ICF).

RESULTS

The study identified 136 vascular medicinal plant taxa and one lichen species belonging to 53 families and 116 genera. Lamiaceae (19), Rosaceae (18), and Asteraceae (17) had the highest species diversity. The plant parts most commonly used to make a variety of herbal preparations were the aerial parts (54 citations), leaves (35 citations), fruits (20 citations), flowers (18 citations), and roots (16 citations), while the most common forms of preparation were teas (60.78%), consumption of fresh tubers, leaves, roots, and fructus (6.86%), compresses (5.88%), juices (5.39%), decoctions (3.92%), 'travarica' brandy (3.92%), and syrups (2.45%). Of the recorded species, 102 were administered orally, 17 topically, and 18 both orally and topically. The plants with a maximum use value (UV = 1) were Allium sativum, Allium ursinum, Gentiana asclepiadea, Gentiana cruciata, Gentiana lutea, Hypericum perforatum, Thymus serpyllum and Urtica dioica. The highest ICF value (ICF = 0.95) was recorded in the categories of Skin and Blood, Blood Forming Organs, and Immune Mechanism.

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that medicinal plants in the research area are an extremely important natural resource for the local population as they are an important component of their health culture and provide a better standard of living.

Traditional knowledge 10 min far from Barcelona: ethnobotanical study in the Llobregat river delta (Catalonia, NE Iberian Peninsula), a heavily anthropized agricultural area

BACKGROUND

The right floodplain at the Llobregat river delta (Catalonia, NE Iberian Peninsula) constitutes an agricultural periurban area adjacent to Barcelona, which has remained ethnobotanically unexplored until now. This area comprises a very heavily anthropized mosaic of soil uses-urban, industrial, natural, agricultural-including the Agricultural Park of Baix Llobregat. The main aim of this work has been to collect and analyze the ethnoflora of this area in order to fill a gap in the ethnobotanical knowledge in industrialized areas.

METHODS

The followed methodology has been based on semi-structured interviews. The obtained data have been qualitatively and quantitatively analyzed and compared with other studies.

RESULTS

Data have been gathered from 83 informants. The interviewed informants referred 1965 use reports from 292 taxa, including both non-cultivated and cultivated species, from 85 botanical families. Among those, 451 were referred to medicinal uses, 1247 to food uses and 267 to other uses. In the present study, 779 vernacular names have been reported for 287 taxa. In addition to medicinal and food uses, this study significantly enhances our understanding of some agrosilvopastoral uses of plants, artistic use of plants and insights into folk functional foods. In this regard, we propose a novel quantitative ethnobotany index (the folk functional food index) to assess the relative significance of taxa employed as folk functional foods.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings of this study highlight the enduring presence of ethnobotanical knowledge in this periurban agricultural region and underscore the significance of its preservation.

Small regions as key sources of traditional knowledge: a quantitative ethnobotanical survey in the central Balkans

BACKGROUND

Starting from the idea that unexplored areas may yield new and different ethnobotanical information, we performed a survey of traditional uses of plants in two neighboring districts situated in east Serbia (Bor and Aleksinac), both lacking in previous ethnobotanical reports, but characterized by an interesting history and culture, together with some specific features. In this study, we hypothesized that such small and specific areas could be of high ethnobotanical importance.

METHODS

Semi-structured interviews were used with 155 informants. Relative cultural importance (RCI) indices, such as the frequency of citation (FC), relative frequency of citation (RFC), relative importance index (RI), informant consensus factor (ICF-FIC), use value (UV), fidelity level (FL) and Jaccard index (JI), were calculated, and principal coordinate analysis (PCoA) was performed.

RESULTS

In this study, 2333 use-reports and 114 plants were recorded. Of the 101 medical herbs, 33 are included in the European Pharmacopoeia Edition 8.0. The most frequently used mode of preparation was as an infusion (50.0%), while leaf (44.7%) was the most used plant part. The highest FC and RFC values were recorded for Hypericum perforatum L. (13.1 and 0.2, respectively), while the highest RI was documented for Urtica dioica L. (1.0). ICF and FL indices showed important differences among selected groups of informants. The PCoA showed three homogeneous plant groups. Plants were mostly used for the treatment of digestive (49.1%), circulatory (41.2%) and respiratory system disorders (35.1%). Thirty-seven (32.5%) herbs were used for human nutrition, 14 (12.3%) in veterinary medicine, 17 (14.9%) in rituals and ethnoculture, while 24 (21.0%) for miscellaneous purposes. The highest degree of similarity was determined with studies conducted in close proximity. Four species are new to Balkan ethnobotany. New uses for some well-known plants are highlighted.

CONCLUSION

The study indicated that small and specific areas in the Balkans may be an important reservoir of ethnobotanical knowledge.

Traditional Ethnobotanical Knowledge of the Central Lika Region (Continental Croatia)-First Record of Edible Use of Fungus Taphrina pruni

This study analyzed the use of plants and fungi, some wild and some cultivated, in three municipalities of Lika-Senj County (Perušić, Gospić and Lovinac). The range of the study area was about 60 km. Forty in-depth semi-structured interviews were performed. The use of 111 plant taxa from 50 plant families and five taxa of mushrooms and fungi belonging to five families was recorded (on average 27 taxa per interview). The results showed quite large differences between the three studied areas in terms of ethnobotanical and ecological knowledge. In the Perušić area, (101 taxa mentioned), some people still use wild plants on a daily basis for various purposes. The most commonly noted plants are Prunus spinosa, Taraxacum spp., Rosa canina, Urtica dioica, Juglans regia and Fragaria vesca. In the Lovinac region, people used fewer species of plants (76 species mentioned). The most common species used there are: Rosa canina, Achillea millefolium, Cornus mas, Crataegus monogyna, Sambucus nigra and Prunus domestica. In the town of Gospić, the collection and use of plants was not so widespread, with only 61 species mentioned, the most common being: Achillea millefolium, Cornus mas, Sambucus nigra, Viola sp., Prunus domestica and Rosa canina. The medicinal use of herbal tea Rubus caesius and Cydonia oblonga against diarrhea was well known in the study area and is used medicinally, mainly in the rural parts of the Gospić area. The consumption of the Sorbus species (S. aria, S. domestica and S. torminalis) is an interesting local tradition in Perušić and Lovinac. Species that are difficult to find in nature today and are no longer used include: Veratrum sp., Rhamnus alpinum ssp. fallax, Gentiana lutea and Ribes uva-crispa. The use of Chenopodium album has also died out. We can assume that the differences in ethnobotanical knowledge between the three studied areas are partly due to minor differences in climate and topography, while other causes lie in the higher degree of rurality and stronger ties to nature in the Lovinac and Perušić areas. The most important finding of the study is the use of the parasitic fungus Taphrina pruni (Fuckel) Tul. as a snack. The use of Helleborus dumetorum for ethnoveterinary practices is also worth noting. The traditional use of plants in the study area shows many signs of abandonment, and therefore efforts must be made to maintain the knowledge recorded in our study.

The Importance of Being Diverse: The Idiosyncratic Ethnobotany of the Reka Albanian Diaspora in North Macedonia

Cultural diversity and biodiversity are strongly intertwined through the ways in which local human communities have understood, categorized, perceived, and used nature and species for centuries. Folk nomenclature and uses of wild plants in particular are strongly linked to specific ethno-diversities and have often been considered as cultural markers. In the current study, through thirty-one interviews with elderly villagers, the ethnobotany of five Albanian villages in North Macedonia was recorded, as these villages are inhabited by descendants of Reka Albanians, whose peculiar dialect and customs have been the subject in the past of some linguistic, historical, and ethnographic works. A few folk names and utilizations of commonly used species (such as Rumex, Urtica, Tilia, Crocus, and Hypericum spp.), as well as the traditional customs of collecting tree cambium during the spring and ritually adorning home doors with Cornus mas and Salix spp. branches on St. George’s Day, partially overlap Macedonian/Bulgarian folklore, and, to a minor extent, data previously collected in NE Albania and South Kosovo. Nevertheless, some archaic uses (such as the consumption of Crocus corms) remain very idiosyncratic. While the origin of the Reka Albanians and the exact historical reasons for their peculiar ethnobotany practices cannot be exactly established, the data showed that this cultural group living at the cultural edge between the Albanian and South Balkan Slavic realms has maintained its diversity until the present. Its uniqueness should be valorized and celebrated.

An ethnobotanical study of medicinal plants in Güce district, north-eastern Turkey

This study aims to identify medicinal plants traditionally used to treat diseases by local people living in Güce district, north-eastern Turkey. The study was carried out between 2018 and 2021 using a two-part semi-structured, open-ended questionnaire with 165 local people. Data were analysed using use-report, frequency of citation, and informant consensus factor. Informants identified 128 vascular medicinal plant taxa belonging to 54 families and 106 genera. The most common plant taxa belong to Rosaceae (16 taxa/12.5%), Asteraceae (12 taxa/9.4%), and Lamiaceae (9 taxa/7%) families. The most frequently used preparation method reported was decoction (39.8%); the most commonly utilized plant parts were leaves (40.3%). Statistical analysis reveals that women in Güce district (df = 163, p = 0.043 < 0.05) possess the most traditional knowledge. The highest frequency of citation (61) and use report (92) were recorded for Tilia rubra subsp. caucasica, and the highest informant consensus factors were cited for respiratory system disorders (0.86), digestive system disorders (0.73), and skin disorders (0.71). This study reported nine plant taxa as medicinal plants for the first time, and documented a total of 293 new therapeutic uses. However, the study indicates that the transfer of traditional knowledge to future generations is limited (F = 3.355, p = 0.020). Action should be taken as soon as possible to preserve existing traditional knowledge and to ensure its transfer to future generations.

Traditional Herbal Remedies Used for Managing Anxiety and Insomnia in Italy: An Ethnopharmacological Overview

Anxiety and insomnia are among the most common mental health disorders and are a major cause of disability around the world. Traditional herbal medicines are receiving significant attention in global health debates. Several Italian regions maintain rural traditions and are among the most extensively studied areas of Europe regarding medicinal plant uses. The present overview aims to highlight the use of wild and cultivated plants, specifically as sedatives and for insomnia treatment in Italy, and to collect, analyze, and summarize the available literature about their pharmacological activity as well as clinical and pre-clinical studies concerning the most cited plants. In total, 106 wild taxa are used in Italy for sedative purposes. The plant species belong to 76 genera and 32 families, of which the most cited are Asteraceae (24.2%) and Lamiaceae (21.1%). Leaves (29%) and flowers (27%) are the plant parts mostly used as infusion (70%) and decoction (25%). Out of 106 taxa documented, only the most cited are analyzed in this overview (A. arvensis L., C. nepeta L., C. monogyna Jacq., H. lupulus L., L. nobilis L., L. angustifolia Mill., M. sylvestris L., M. chamomilla L., M. officinalis L., O. basilicum L., P. rhoeas L., P. somniferum L., R. officinalis L., T. platyphyllus Scop., and V. officinalis L.). Among the fifteen species selected, only seven have been studied for their pharmacological activity as hypnotic-sedatives. Future pre-clinical and clinical studies are needed to better clarify the mechanism of action of bioactive compounds and confirm the potential of these alternative therapies.