Medicinal Plants in Northern Montenegro: Traditional Knowledge, Quality, and Resources

Abstract

The main objectives of this study were to collect information on the use of wild medicinal plants by local people living in the high mountain region of northern Montenegro and to conduct local botanical and ecological surveys. During terrain expeditions, 412 plant species (38 endemic) were identified, and the most abundant family was Rosaceae, followed by Cupressaceae and Lamiaceae. Plant use was documented by speaking with 75 people (mean age 57, 61 % female, 39 % male) who were born in and residents of northern Montenegro. Information on 116 plant species belonging to 40 families for the treatment of various human ailments was gathered. Botanical families, such as Asteraceae, Rosaceae, and Lamiaceae, were represented by the highest number of species reported by informants (14, 13, and 7 species, respectively). The most frequently reported medicinal uses were ones for treating gastrointestinal and respiratory diseases. Aerial parts (33.3 %) were found to be highly utilized plant parts followed by roots (20.8 %) and leaves (17.3 %). Only two endemic species (Dianthus knapii and Pinus peuce) proved useful in folk tradition. Active ingredients of plant species officinal in the European Pharmacopoeia 6.0 (Ph. Eur. 6.0) were studied, and we assessed possibilities for commercial exploitation for local economic development. This work increases the ethnobotanical data from Montenegro, safeguards local folk knowledge, and provides information on new or scarcely reported properties of medicinal plants, whose traditional use requires experimental validation.