Ethnobotanical Investigation of Plants Used for Respiratory Tract Infections in Pirot District (Southeastern Serbia)

It is important to evaluate alternative respiratory infection treatments using herbal medicines, whose efficacy and safety have been shown in pharmacological and clinical studies. The study aimed to provide a review that will help screen plants used for respiratory infections that deserve further investigation and eventually develop an effective antiviral agent. The Pirot District (Serbia) population was surveyed using a semistructured questionnaire to determine how many individuals were familiar with the useful properties of plants against respiratory infections. The surveyed population included 531 individuals from 152 villages, with 1 221 reports on the use of plants against respiratory infections. The most reported taxa are systematised by the most frequent application with the informants’ calculated consensus factor. Plants reported for the treatment of respiratory infections (65 plant taxa) were distributed among 31 families, of which the most important were Lamiaceae (14 species) and Rosaceae (10 species), and the most abundant were Lamiaceae (433 reports) and Compositae (274 reports). The most used plant taxa were Thymus spp., Matricaria chamomilla, and Sambucus nigra. The primary indications for use were the common cold (640 reports), cough (330 reports), sore throat (80 reports), and bronchitis (67 reports). The use of 21 plant taxa in respiratory disorders has not been reported in other ethnobotanical studies in the Balkans. The presented data may be a good starting point for further phytopharmacological research in the quest for suitable drugs against viral respiratory tract infections. •The rural population in the Pirot District (Serbia) was interviewed about the use of plants against respiratory infections.•The survey recorded 65 plant taxa and 1 221 reports of use.•Use of 21 plant taxa was not reported in surrounding regions.•This review provides a basis for further pharmacological studies.