Insular Pharmacopoeias: Ethnobotanical Characteristics of Medicinal Plants Used on the Adriatic Islands

Abstract

The Adriatic islands in Croatia, usually divided into two archipelagos – the Kvarner and Dalmatian islands – is one of the largest groups of islands in Europe. Over 40 islands are still inhabited. Unfortunately the traditional use of medicinal plants was never properly documented there. Our data comes from 343 interviews carried out in 36 islands, including the 15 largest islands of the archipelago. The medicinal plants are mainly used to make herbal infusions or decoctions, occasionally medicinal liqueurs, syrups, compresses, or juices squeezed out of raw plants. We recorded the use of 146 taxa, among them 131 with at least one medicinal purpose and 15 only for tea. The frequency curve of use is relatively steep – several plants are used very frequently and most are reported only by one or two informants, which can be explained both by the large geographical spread of the area, and even more so by the devolution of local knowledge and disappearance of gathering practices due to specialization in tourism, modernization and depopulation. Most of the gathered plants already occur in ancient and medieval herbals and are a part of the pan-Mediterranean pharmacopoeia.

Divergence of Ethnobotanical Knowledge of Slovenians on the Edge of the Mediterranean as a Result of Historical, Geographical and Cultural Drivers

“…Today in Europe, we are witnessing the innovation of the traditional use of local wild herbs and finding new ways of their application in modern cuisine [26]. For example, the use of Aloysia citriodora in the Adriatic islands is little known, except that it is widely used in Korčula [42]. However, we recorded the use of this plant as food in six cases, suggesting that this is a new trend spreading in the region.…”

“…One of the important forces influencing local pharmacopoeias is the presence of local herbal specialists. Such individuals may help maintain the general knowledge of herbs, but it may also have a homogenising effect if their knowledge is influenced by popular literature [42]. An influential local herbal biologist and plant expert, Stipe Hećimović, arrived in the Komen area from Lika (Croatia) during the 1990s.…”

“…Other examples are rare medicinal uses of P. judaica for a urinary tract and Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers. as a purgative, which is still very common in the Adriatic region [34,42].…”

“…The uses of some plants in the researched area seem entirely forgotten. For example, the use of rough leaf of Broussonetia papyrifera (L.) Vent., and Parietaria judaica L. for washing bottles and barrels is still very common in the Adriatic area [42], while it was mentioned only one time in the Izola area.…”

Composition and Antioxidant Properties of Pigments of Mediterranean Herbs and Spices as Affected by Different Extraction Methods

“…Evergreen shrubs and subshrubs are valued for their leaves, berries, and flowers, and hold an important place in the group of Mediterranean herbs. Typical representatives of these herbs are well-known members of various plant families: Thymus vulgaris and Salvia officinalis (Lamiaceae), Laurus nobilis (Lauraceae), Myrtus communis (Myrtaceae), and Pistacia lentiscus (Anacardiaceae) which are often utilized in the form of dried plant material, herbal infusions, syrups, or essential oils [2]. While L. nobilis and T. vulgaris leaves are commonly applied as spices and food preservatives [3,4],…”