Ethnopharmacological use of burdock ('Arctium lappa') in the Pirot County

Abstract

The subject of this paper was the investigation of the ethnopharmacological use of burdock (Arctium lappa) in Pirot County (Southeastern Serbia). The research was conducted in the form of surveys among the rural population in four municipalities. It was noticed that fructus and radix were used in the folk medicine of the County for internal and external applications. Fructus was used internalyfor the treatment of diabetes (1 report), diarrhea (2 reports), cancer (1 report), and high blood pressure (1 report); externaly for strengthening hair roots (1 report), against skin diseases (1 report), and rheumatic pain (1 report). It was mentioned that radix was used for internal application for blood purification (1 report). The results showed that its application for the treatment of high blood pressure, and diarrhea were different and new in comparison with other ethnobotanical surveys in Serbia and the Balkan Peninsula.