Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Journal of Ethnopharmacology journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/jethpharm Traditional wound-healing plants used in the Balkan region (Southeast Europe) Snežana Jarić ⁎ , Olga Kostić, Zorana Mataruga, Dragana Pavlović, Marija Pavlović, Miroslava Mitrović, Pavle Pavlović Department of Ecology, Institute for Biological Research ‘Siniša Stanković’, University of Belgrade, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142, 11060 Belgrade, Serbia ARTICLE INFO Keywords: Wound-healing Medicinal plants Balkan Peninsula Pharmacological characteristics ABSTRACT Ethnopharmacological relevance: The geographical and ecological specificity of the Balkan Peninsula has resulted in the development of a distinct diversity of medicinal plants. In the traditional culture of the Balkan peoples, plants have medicinal, economic and anthropological/cultural importance, which is reflected in the sound knowledge of their diversity and use. This study analyses the traditional use of medicinal plants in the treatment of wounds and the pharmacological characteristics of the most frequently used species. Materials and methods: A detailed analysis of the literature related to ethnobhe uses of medicinal plants in the Balkan region was carried out. Twenty-five studies were analysed and those plants used for the treatment of wounds were singled out. Result: An ethnobotanical analysis showed that 128 plant species (105 wild, 22 cultivated and 1 wild/cultivated) are used in the treatment of wounds. Their application is external, in the form of infusions, decoctions, tinctures, syrups, oils, ointments, and balms, or direct to the skin. Among those plants recorded, the most commonly used are Plantago major, Hypericum perforatum, Plantago lanceolata, Achillea millefolium, Calendula officinalis, Sambucus nigra, Tussilago farfara and Prunus domestica. The study showed that the traditional use of plants in wound healing is confirmed by in vitro and/or in vivo studies for P. major and P. lanceolata (3 laboratory studies for P. major and 2 for P. lanceolata), H. perforatum (5 laboratory studies and 3 clinical trials), A. millefolium (3 la- boratory studies and one clinical trial), C. officinalis (6 laboratory studies and 1 clinical trial), S. nigra (3 la- boratory studies) and T. farfara (one laboratory study). Conclusion: The beneficial effects of using medicinal plants from the Balkan region to heal wounds according to traditional practices have been proven in many scientific studies. However, information on the quantitative benefits to human health of using herbal medicines to heal wounds is still scarce or fragmented, hindering a proper evaluation. Therefore, further studies should be aimed at isolating and identifying specific active sub- stances from plant extracts, which could also reveal compounds with more valuable therapeutic properties. Furthermore, additional reliable clinical trials are needed to confirm those experiences encountered when using traditional medicines. A combination of traditional and modern knowledge could result in new wound-healing drugs with a significant reduction in unwanted side effects. 1. Introduction The existence of traditional medicine depends fundamentally on plant species diversity and the related knowledge of their use as herbal drugs. Out of an estimated 250,000 flowering plant species globally, between 50,000 and 70,000 are known to be used in traditional and modern medicine across the world (Leaman, 2006). Of all the plant species worldwide, 15% have been evaluated phytochemically and only 6% have been screened for biological activity (Verpoorte, 2000). In the Balkan region, no data is available on the total number of medicinal plant species; however, there is data for particular countries: Serbian ethnomedicine today has knowledge of approximately 700 species, 420 of which are officially registered, and about 270 are available to buy (Kišgeci and Sekulović, 2000); in Bulgarian flora there are 768 medic- inal plants and 764 are of indigenous or adventive origin (Gussev, 2005); in Romania, out of more than 3600 species of higher plants, over 700 are medicinal plants (Parvu, 2002; Tudor and Minoiu, 2004); in Montenegro there are around 700 medicinal plants, approximately 300 of which are used in traditional medicine as well as in the pharma- ceutical industry (Pulević, 1965; Pulević, 1980); in Bosnia and http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jep.2017.09.018 Received 7 June 2017; Received in revised form 28 August 2017; Accepted 18 September 2017 ⁎ Corresponding author. E-mail address: nena2000@ibiss.bg.ac.rs (S. Jarić). Journal of Ethnopharmacology 211 (2018) 311–328 Available online 21 September 2017 0378-8741/ © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. MARK