The Use of Medicinal Plants and Phytotherapy in the Konjuh Mountain of Bosnia and Herzegovina

Abstract

The plant kingdom is a crucial component of human nutrition and, consequently, the foundation of human sustenance. Humans have long recognized that specific plant-based foods provide essential substances that contribute to health, leading to the discovery of their medicinal properties. As a result of such chemical investigations, there has been an effort to synthetically produce the same or similar compounds that could replace natural products from the plant world in medical treatment and health maintenance. Consequently, modern medicine has increasingly relied on synthetic drugs, often overlooking the therapeutic value of many plants. However, despite this neglect, there is a growing movement to reintegrate effective natural plant compounds into the treatment of various diseases, as synthetic chemical compounds cannot fully substitute for plant-derived medications. The objective of this study was to collect and identify medicinal plant species in the Konjuh Mountain area across seven locations with varying geoecological characteristics. Field research was conducted in three municipalities within the Tuzla Canton (Kladanj, Živinice, and Banovići), covering seven sites, each measuring 3,000 m², with altitudes ranging from 560 to 1,100 m. During the investigation, 109 medicinal plant species were identified, including endangered and endemic varieties. Additionally, a survey was conducted among the local population of Konjuh Mountain regarding their knowledge, recognition, and collection of medicinal herbs. Results from the survey, which involved 50 participants of various ages, indicate that alternative medicine holds a significant role in treatment approaches and is viewed as a more accessible method of healing.