Ethnopharmacological application of chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla L.) in the Pirot County of Southeastern Serbia

  • Marija Marković University of Niš - Faculty of Science and Mathematics, Department of Biology and Ecology
  • Dejan Pljevljakušić Institute for the study of medical plants “Dr. Josif Pančić”
  • Ksenija Kojičić University of Kragujevac - Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Pharmacy
  • Snežana Cupara University of Kragujevac - Faculty of Medical Sciences, Department of Pharmacy
Keywords: Chamomile, Medicinal plant, Pirot country

Abstract


Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla  L.) is a herbaceous plant from family Astereaceae, that has a long history of use in traditional medicine. The first written report of chamomile was found in Ancient Egypt: crushed chamomile flower-heads were used to relieve skin inflammation, prevent dermatitis, and in cosmetic preparations. The subject of this study was to examine the ethnopharmacological application of chamomile in the Pirot County of Serbia. The study was conducted in the form of a population survey on the population of four municipalities: Pirot, Babušnica, Bela Palanka, and Dimitrovgrad. This study shows that chamomile has been one of the ten best known medicinal plant species in Pirot County. The most common way of the application was a herbal tea for oral use against cold, stomach diseases, throat infection, and mild sedation. Externally, in the form of compresses, it has been used against eye swelling, skin inflammation, and infections, while the oily form was used in the treatment of wounds and burns.

References

Marković M. Upotreba hajdučke trave u etnomedicini Pirotskog okruga (jugoistočna Srbija) (Application of yarrow (Achillea millefolium L.) in ethnomedicine of the Pirot County (southeastern Serbia)). Arh farm. 2019; 69:839-859.

Stankov Jovanović V, Šmelcerović A, Smiljić M, Ilić M, Marković M. Ethnopharmacological application of St. John’s wort in Pirot county (Etnofarmakološka primena kantariona u Pirotskom okrugu), Pirotski zbornik. 2018;43:141-6.

Mihajlov M, Milojević B. Farmakognozijska karta okoline Pirota. Zbornik radova Simpozijuma „Stogodišnjica Flore okoline Niša”, Univerzitet u Nišu, Tehnološki fakultet u Leskovcu. Podružnica Srpskog biološkog društva, Niš. 1985; 145-55.

Milojević B, Mihajlov M. Narodna terminologija lekovitog bilja u okolini Pirota. Zbornik radova Simpozijuma „Stogodišnjica Flore okoline Niša, Univerzitet u Nišu, Tehnološki fakultet u Leskovcu. Podružnica Srpskog biološkog društva, Niš. 1985; 167-80.

Ranđelović N, Sotirov S, Stamenković V, Redžepi F, Ranđelović V, Zlatković B. Lekovito bilje subregiona Pirot. Zbornik radova Tehnološkog fakulteta u Leskovcu, 1991;7/8:29-33.

Mаrković M., Pаvlović-Murаtspаhić D., Mаtović M., Mаrković A, Stаnkov-Jovаnović V. Aromatic Flora of the Vidlič Mountain. Biotechnol Biotec Eq. 2009;23(2):1225-9.

Marković M, Matović M, Pavlović D, Zlatković B, Marković A, Jotić B, Stankov-Jovanović V. Resources of medicinal plants and herbs collector’s calendar of Pirot County (Serbia). Biologica Nyssana. 2010;1(1-2):9-21.

Marković M, Rakonjac Lj, Nikolić B. Lekovito bilje Pirotskog okruga. Beograd: Institut za šumarstvo; 2020. 173 p.

Gajić M. Rod Matricaria L. In: Josifović M., editor. Flora SR Srbije VII: Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, Odeljenje prirodno-matematičkih nauka, Beograd; 1975; p. 110-3.

Sharifi-Rad M, Nazaruk J, Polito L, Morais-Braga BFM, Rocha EJ, Coutinho MDH. et al. Matricaria genus as a source of antimicrobial agents: From farm to pharmacy and food applications. Microbiol Res. 2018;215: 76-88. DOI: 10.1016/j.micres.2018.06.010.

Sarić M. Matricaria chamomilla L. In: Sarić M. editor. Lekovite biljke SR Srbije. Beograd: Srpska akademija nauka i umetnosti, Odeljenje prirodno-matematičkih nauka, Posebna izdanja, Vol. DXCVIII, No. 65; 1989; p. 359-61.

Tasić S, Šavikin Fodulović K, Menković N. Vodič kroz svet lekovitog bilja. Beograd: Samostalno izdanje. 98 p.

Jančić R, Stošić D, Mimica-Dukić N, Lakušić B. Aromatične biljke Srbije, Beograd – Gornji Milanovac: NIP Dečje novine; 1995; p. 263-5.

Shoara R, Hashempur MH, Ashraf A, Selehi A, Dehshshri S, Habibagahi Z. Efficacy and safety of topical Matricaria chamomilla L. (chamomile) oil for knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled clinical trial. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 2015; 21:181-7.

Europaean Medicines Agency, Science Medicine Health. Committee on Herbal Medicinal Products (HMPC). European Union herbal monograph on Matricaria recutita L., flos.; 2015, 7 July. EMA/HMPC/55843/2011 https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-monograph/final-european-union-herbal-monograph-matricaria-recutita-l-flos_en.pdf

Dajić Stevanović Z, Petrović M, Aćić S. Ethnobotanical Knowledge and Traditional Use of Plants in Serbia in Relation to Sustainable Rural Development. In: Pieroni A, Quave C. editors. Ethnobotany and Biocultural Diversities in the Balkans. Springer, New York; 2014; p. 229-52.

Jarić S, Popović Z, Mačukanović-Jocić M, Đurđević L, Mijatović, L., Karadžić B. et al. An ethnobotanical study of the usage of wild medicinal herbs from Kopaonik Mountain (Central Serbia), J Ethnophalmacol 2017;111:160-75.

Zlatković B, Bogosavljević S. Taxonomic and pharmacological valorization of the medicinal flora in Svrljiški Timok gorge (Eastern Serbia). Facta Universitatis Series: Medicine and Biology 2014;16(2):7686.

Janaćković P, Gavrilović M, Savić J, Marin P, Dajić Stevanović Z. Traditional knowledge of plant use from Negotin Krajina (Eastern Serbia): An ethnobotanical study, Indian J Tradit Know. 2019;18(1):25-33.

Published
2020/08/24
Section
Short communication