Traditional medicinal use of „Cornus mas“ in the Pirot District (Serbia)

Етноботаника 6 (2026) (стр. 33-55)

АУТОР(И) / AUTHOR(S): Marija S. Marković Dejan S. Pljevljakušić Biljana M. Nikolić Ljubinko B. Rakonjac Bojan K. Zlatković Branko N. Jotić Vesna P. Stankov Jovanović

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/EtnBot26.033M

САЖЕТАК / ABSTRACT:

Traditional knowledge about the medicinal uses of cornelian cherry – Cornus mas L. (Cornaceae) in the Pirot District in southeastern Serbia are discussed in this paper. A total of 631 informants were surveyed on the knowledge and medicinal use of plants in the four municipalities of the Pirot District: Pirot, Babušnica, Bela Palanka, and Dimitrovgrad. Based on surveys among the rural population in Pirot District, 21 reports were mentioned by 20 informants about the uses of C. mas fruits: for the treatment of anemia (4 reports), for the heart (2 reports), against high blood pressure (3 reports), diarrhea (4 reports), diabetes (2 reports), for improvement of immunity (2 reports), against cold (3 reports), and as hot drink (1 report). The preparation form of decoction was always practiced. The uses of C. mas fruits for the heart, in the treatment of high blood pressure and cold in the form of decoction were not reported in previously conducted ethnobotanical studies in neighboring areas in Serbia and the Balkans, so these uses can be considered the novel findings of this research. The data, presented in this paper, can be a basis for further pharmacological research.

КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ / KEYWORDS:

ethnobotany, Cornus mas, Pirot District

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / ПРОЈЕКАТ:

 This research is part of the project: Ethno-pharmacological study of the region of southeastern Serbia, O-02-17, supported by the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, as well as within the Agreement on the implementation and financing of scientific research work of scientific research organizations in 2026, financed by the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia (No. 451-03-33/202603/200027, No. 451-03-33/2026-03/200003, and No. 451-03-34/2026-03/200124).

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