RESEARCH ARTICLE

Ethnobiology and Conservation 2018, 7:6 (02 March 2018) doi:10.15451/ec2018-03-07.06-1-42 ISSN 2238­4782 ethnobioconservation.com Ethnomedical Knowledge among Slavic Speaking People in South Kosovo

Avni Hajdari1†, Andrea Pieroni2†, Mamta Jhaveri3, Behxhet Mustafa1, Cassandra L. Quave3,4*

ABSTRACT

Local natural resources play an important role in securing human health in the Balkans, particularly as a source of food and medicine. The aims of this study were to document the ethnomedical practices of Slavic speaking groups in South Kosovo and to compare these findings to other studies conducted in the Western Balkans. Field research was conducted over a series of trips in 2014. Semi­structured interviews in which respondents were asked to list local taxa used for food and/or medicine were conducted in six communities located in the municipalities of Prizren and Dragash. Prior informed consent was obtained and 91 people were interviewed. Voucher specimens of cited wild flora and fungi were collected and deposited in duplicate at the herbaria of the University of Prishtina (Kosovo) and Emory University (USA). A total of 1,050 use citations were recorded for the various uses of 119 species (4 fungi and 115 plants) for food and/or medicine. Additionally, the ethnomedical uses of 27 ingredients of animal, mineral or industrial origin were also documented. The greatest number of citations were for dermatological and food uses of local plants. The most common families reported were Rosaceae (18 species cited), Lamiaceae (16) and Asteraceae (10). Informant consensus regarding category of use was highest (Fic ≥ 0.85) for the categories of oral health, dermatological, and otolaryngological applications. Both wild and locally cultivated plants continue to play an important role among various ethnic groups in South Kosovo, with 389 distinct applications documented in this study alone.

Keywords: Balkans; Traditional Ecological Knowledge; Medicinal Plants

1 Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematical and Natural Science, University of Prishtina ‘Hasan Prishtina’, Mother Theresa St. 10000 Prishtina, Kosovo

2 University of Gastronomic Sciences, Pollenzo, Italy

3 Department of Dermatology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA

4 Center for the Study of Human Health, Emory University College of Arts and Sciences, Atlanta, GA, USA 

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INTRODUCTION south­western), the Sharr Mountains form the southern border, shared with Marcedonia Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) of and Albania, and Albanian Alps form the local resources is closely tied to community western border, shared with Montenegro and resilience and food security in the Balkans. Albania. These geographic features offer a Over the past decade, a number of studies range in elevation from 265 to 2,656 m.a.s.l., have focused on the ethnobotanical with the majority of the area lying between documentation of TEK in the Balkan 500 to 1,500 m.a.s.l. These geographic Peninsula as it pertains to the use of flora features combined with its modified and fungi for food, handicrafts and medicine. continental climate (including sub­ Specific to the Western Balkans, extensive Mediterranean and alpine climatic zones) fieldwork has been conducted in Albania offer a rich range of habitats for a diverse (Pieroni, Dibra et al. 2005, Pieroni 2008, flora to flourish. Although a complete floristic Pieroni 2010, Pieroni, Cianfaglione et al. survey has not yet been conducted, it is 2014, Quave and Pieroni 2014), Bosnia and estimated that there are between 2,800­ Herzegovina (Redžić 2006, Redžić 2007, 3,000 vascular plant species in Kosovo. Šarić­Kundalić, Dobeš et al. 2010, Šarić­ TEK concerning the medicinal use of Kundalić, Fritz et al. 2010), Croatia (Pieroni, local plants, fungi and animals and their Elena Giusti et al. 2003, Łuczaj, Fressel et byproducts was investigated in the territory al. 2013), Kosovo (Mustafa, Hajdari et al. of Prizren, which lies in the southern part of 2011, Mustafa, Hajdari et al. 2011, Mustafa, the Sharr Mountains (in Albanian known as Hajdari et al. 2012, Mustafa, Hajdari et al. Malet e Sharrit; in Serbo­Croatian as Šar 2015), Macedonia (Rexhepi, Mustafa et al. Planina) and represent one of the main 2013, Pieroni, Rexhepi et al. 2013), centers of biodiversity in Balkans. In Montenegro (Menković, Šavikin et al. 2011, recognition of the rich levels of biodiversity in Pieroni, Giusti et al. 2011), Serbia (Jarić, this region, a 53,469 hectares region of the Popović et al. 2007, Šavikin, Zdunic et al. Sharr Mountains was declared a National 2013, Jarić, Mitrović et al. 2014, Stevanović, Park. Petrović et al. 2014, Zlatković, Bogosavljević Until the end of the World War II, et al. 2014, Jarić, Mačukanović­Jocić et al. healthcare in this region was almost entirely 2015), but until now, research comparing based on traditional medicine, and these traditional ethnomedical practices between traditions continued after the war as well. Slavic speaking groups in Kosovo has not Healthcare was commonly attended to within been carried out. Geographically, the the family, and all physical and mental Western Balkans represent a unique illnesses were treated with traditional biocultural landscape, featuring extensive medicines and rituals. These folk­medical biological, cultural, and linguistic diversity traditions continue even now, especially in across an area of just 213,320 km2. the more mountainous and isolated areas. Despite its small geographic size (10,840 Local people have withstood the extreme km2), Kosovo offers a unique hotspot of conditions of this region for centuries – biocultural diversity for ethnobotanical study. including very harsh winters. Until very While most of the country’s landscape is recent decades, limitations in infrastructure dominated by two plains (the Kosovo plain in and communication forced local residents to the north­eastern and Dukagjin Plain in the be self­sufficient in the provision of their food

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and healthcare. As a result, their primary concerning the geographic characteristics, pharmacopoeia consisted of local medicinal population, cultural aspects and nature plants. Previous ethnobotanical and values of this region have been previously ethnolinguistic studies conducted in Kosovo described. have demonstrated that medicinal plants still In previous field studies, we analyzed the play a crucial role in the sphere of human medical ethnobotany of Albanians and health, especially in isolated rural areas different ethnic groups living in Kosovo ; (Sejdiu 1984, Mustafa, Hajdari et al. 2011, here we focus on the medical and food Mustafa, Hajdari et al. 2011, Mustafa, ethnobotany of the Slavic speaking Bosniaks Hajdari et al. 2015). and Gorani (Muslims), Serbs (Christian Recently, local populations have been Orthodox) and surrounding Albanians negatively affected by migration due to populations (Muslim) living in South Kosovo. displacement and the harsh economic As previously found in other works, the folk conditions caused by the last Kosovo War heritage of the medico­botanical resources (1998­1999). Migration patterns contribute to among South Slavs is particularly rich when the rapid decline of traditional knowledge compared with that of other ethnic groups. It and the vertical transmission of oral is for this reason that we pursued traditional knowledge from one generation to ethnomedical documentation in this area another. with these particular ethnic groups. The main In addition to the highly biodiverse aims of this study were to document the characteristics of the region, it is also very ethnomedical remedies (plants, animal, rich in terms of cultural and linguistic mineral substances and other materials diversity. This region was historically found in nature) used among Slavic occupied by three great empires – speaking groups in South Kosovo and to Byzantine, Roman, and Ottoman. During the compare these findings across ethnic periods of between the fall and rise of groups, as well as with the pre­existing different empires, it was occupied primarily ethnobotanical literature of the Western by Bulgarians and Serbs. Today, the area is Balkans available in English. populated by various ethno­linguistic groups: ethnic Albanians (who speak the Gheg MATERIAL AND METHODS dialect of Albanian, as opposed to Tosk Albanian typical of southern Albania), Serbs Field Study (who speak Serbian), Turks (who speak Turkish), Bosniaks (who speak Bosnian), Ethnobotanical field research was Gorani (who speak a Slavic language or conducted in 6 villages belonging to the “Našinski”, a Gora dialect similar to municipalities of Prizren (3 villages) and Bosnian), and Roma (who speak Romani). Dragash (3), located in Sharr Mountains, In 2014, the year of our field­study, the which are situated in the southern part of resident population of Kosovo was estimated Kosovo. to be 1.78 million, with 28% being of the age Field studies were conducted over six day 0­14, 65% at 15­64, and 7% that were 65 field trips in 2014 as part of a fieldwork years and older, with an average life training course with students from the expectancy of 79.4 years for women and University of Prishtina. The research team 74.1 for men . Additional information was divided into small groups consisting of

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one professor and 2­3 students (three Biological Specimens groups in total) that interacted with either individual respondents or small focus groups During the interviews, fresh plants were of no more than 3 individuals. Prior informed collected to create voucher specimens for consent was obtained prior to conducting herbarium deposit and whenever possible, interviews and all researchers adhered to informants were followed into the field to the ethical guidelines of the International show us the quoted species. Most plant Society of Ethnobiology. In most cases, species were collected while flowering. small group interviews were conducted with Taxonomic identification of plants was different members of the same family unit. undertaken using relevant standard Snowball sampling methods were used to botanical literature of the area. Plant recruit informants and we particularly nomenclature largely follows the Flora focused on local people who regularly use Europaea, while plant family assignments natural resources for medicinal purposes. follow the current Angiosperm Phylogeny TEK was recorded using semi­structured Group IV guidelines. Fungal taxonomy was interviews with informants. In particular, confirmed using MycoBank. Voucher informal conversations focused on the issue specimens of the wild taxa were deposited at of local taxa traditionally used for food (esp. the University of Prishtina Herbarium and wild food sources) and medicine. We sought Emory University Herbarium (Index in particular the following information: Herbarium code: GEO). Specimens are in respondent demographics (age, gender, and the process of being digitized; full collection community of residence), local names of information and digital images can be useful plants or fungi, part(s) used, means of accessed via the SERNEC portal. preparation, means of administration, local folk uses of taxa. Special care was taken to Data Analysis specifically document individual responses to all questions. In other words, within a We analyzed the data collected in effort to small group, each person was questioned assess TEK across ethnic groups in this concerning their knowledge and use of each highly biodiverse pocket of the Balkans. We material discussed. Data sets collected have employed a number of tools in our reflect TEK of each independent informant. quantitative analysis of the pooled data, In total, data were collected from 91 described below. respondents, all from Slavic speaking groups – 48 Bosniaks (24 male, 24 female), 27 Use­Value Citation Index Gorani (12 male, 15 female), and 12

Serbians (7 male, 7 female) – with the The Use­Value (UVc) citation index is exception of two Albanian participants (1 useful for evaluating the relative importance male, 1 female). The respondents were of each species based on its cited uses . older than 50 years (with a few exceptions), The UVc was calculated for all taxa as mainly engaged in agricultural activities, and follows: typically inherited their ethnobotanical knowledge from their direct ancestors (parents, grandparents) via oral traditions.

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where Uis is the sum of the total number of species are reported to be used by a large all individual use citation reports concerning proportion of informants for a particular a given taxa, divided by the total number of category, whereas lower Fic values indicate informants (N). that informants disagree over which taxa to use. Informant Consensus Factor RESULTS The categories selected for use in the

Informant Consensus Factor (Fic) analysis A total of 119 species (4 fungal and 115 are provided in Table 1 and follow a plant species), representing 4 fungal and 43 previously described system . Each taxa use plant families (Figure 1) were cited for was added to the appropriate category prior ethnopharmacological applications, ranging to analysis using the following formula: from health food to various forms of medicine. Emic categories of medicinal or other applications were determined based on analysis of informant reports on plant uses, and qualitative interpretation of local illness assignments based on body system where Nuc is the total number of use citations (e.g., cardiovascular system, in each category and Nt is the number of gastrointestinal, dermatological, etc.), as taxa used in that category. High Fic values previously described in other work using Fic (near 1.0) are obtained when one or a few analysis . Seventy­one taxa were collected

Table 1. Ethnomedicine use reports

Legend: Division of ethnobotanical use reports by general categories for Informant Consensus Factor (Fic) analysis.

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from the wild, 42 were cultivated, 2 were squeezed liquid (3%) tincture (2%), semi­cultivated, 3 were purchased, and one ointments (2%) and others preparation with was either wild harvested or cultivated. The 1% or less (Figure 2). On the other hand, the most broadly represented plant families were most frequent food preparations were: tea Rosaceae (18 species cited), Lamiaceae (16 (35%), lacto­fermented products (17%), fill spp.) and Asteraceae (10 spp.) (Figure 1). for pies (14%), jams (8%), compote (6%), Additionally, 13 ingredients of animal origin alcoholic fermentation 5% and with 1% (Appendix I) and 14 of mineral or industrial vinegar and ‘ajvar’ preparations (Figure 3). origin (Appendix II) were spontaneously The most frequently cited medicinal uses cited for medicinal applications, without referred to dermatological disorders (20%) specific questions to informants concerning gastrointestinal diseases (20%), respiratory the use of such materials. (15%) troubles, gastrointestinal illness The most frequently quoted manner of (12%), illnesses, cardiovascular illness preparation of medicinal plants was (11%), etc. (Figure 4). 72% of the plants represented by infusions (58%), tropical were internally administered while 28 of the application (15%), decoction (7%), preparations were externally administered. macerations (6%), eaten fresh (4%)

Figure 1. Number of plant families and their number of species, cited for ethnopharmacological applications, ranging from health food to various forms of medicine.

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Figure 2. Preparation of plants for medicinal uses

Figure 3. Preparation of plants for foods

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Figure 4. Medicinal uses of plant species

Figure 5. Administration of the extracts for medicinal purposes

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Informants and Consensus The most frequently cited (Nuc: 327) use of taxa was for dermatological applications, There were a total of 1,050 use citations followed by food (255), gastrointestinal (88),

(Nuc), and taxa were cited for different respiratory (83), and cardiovascular (78).

categories 389 times (Nt). Categories of use The highest consensus (Fic ≥ 0.75) was for are described with examples in Table 1. The taxa used for oral health (Fic: 0.952),

number of taxa (Nt), number of use citations dermatological (0.880), otolaryngological

(Nuc) and the informants consensus factor (0.857), food (0.756) and psychiatric (0.750)

(Fic) for each category is reported in Table 2. applications.

Table 2. Informant consensus

Legend: Informant consensus concerning the internal use of local plants and fungi.

species were cited for a number of Use­Value for Cited Taxa applications. For example, while all reports of T. serpyllum were for its preparation as an A detailed report of UV values for all c infusion of aerial parts, the infusion was cited cited taxa is provided in Appendix I. The a variety of uses, ranging from food, general average UV was 0.095. H. perforatum had c health promotion, and for various medical the highest use­value index score of all applications for women’s health, species reported (UV : 2.56). Ten species c neuromuscular, respiratory, and urological had a use­value index score greater than complaints. Likewise, U. dioica was reported 0.25, and all were collected from the wild: to be prepared as an infusion (of the aerial Achillea millefolium, Matricaria recutita, parts, seeds, or flowers) for food (as a tea Vaccinium myrtillus, Gentiana lutea, beverage) and for various medicinal Hypericum perforatum, Origanum vulgare, applications ranging from urological, general Thymus serpyllum, Plantago major, Rosa health, cardiovascular, neuromuscular or canina, and Urtica dioica. Notably, most

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endocrine system complaints (Appendix I). Measure of use­value indices for individual taxa can be especially useful for Reports of Animal, Mineral and cross­cultural comparison studies Industrial Products concerning the use of different taxa, and mechanisms for data analysis between two In addition to plant and fungal ingredients, or three groups have been explored with reports of animal, mineral and industrial field data collected in this region of the ingredients for medicinal applications were Balkans. Due to limitations in the present also recorded. Thirteen animal species were study design (uneven numbers from different cited, with 38 distinct uses reported, and a ethnicities having been recruited), a rigorous total of 58 individual use citations (Appendix cross­cultural assessment of use­values II). Of these, the top use­value index scores across ethnic groups was not possible here. were for sheep products (Nuc: 0.132), with However, comparison of the present study different dermatological applications cited data with that of a previous study conducted using milk, gallbladder, skin, fat or feces; and in SW Kosovo revealed that six of the eight human products (Nuc: 0.088) of urine and most commonly cited taxa (with >30% of breast milk used for otolaryngological and respondents citing their use) were also dermatological applications. reported to have the highest UVc scores Fourteen ingredients of mineral or (>0.25) here: Achillea millefolium, Urtica industrial origin were cited for 17 distinct dioica, Hypericum perforatum, Thymus uses reported and 21 total citations for serpyllum, Matricaria recutita and Vaccinium dermatological, veterinary and myrtillus. The other two high ranking taxa ophthalmological applications (Appendix III). from the prior study were also documented The top two reported ingredients had low in the present work, but at a lower use value scores (relative to plant or animal frequency: Sambucus nigra L. (UVc: 0.176) ingredients); both ash and sugar had as UVc and Tilia platyphyllos Scop. (UVc: 0.055). of 0.033. Furthermore, comparison of our data with the entire Western Balkan ethnobotanical DISCUSSION literature available in English (see references cited in the introduction) revealed Similarities with other Reports in that the folk plant remedies with the highest the Balkan Literature fidelity levels, defined as those with high reports of the same specific use, were also Similar to a number of previous studies recorded as being commonly used in the conducted in different communities spread most of the considered studies. across the Western Balkans (including Furthermore, in addition to their role in Albania, Kosovo, Serbia and Montenegro), traditional medicine of this region, a number the most frequently cited plant families for of these species have also been food and medicinal use were Rosaceae, incorporated into the broader European Lamiaceae and Asteraceae. Their market as plant food supplements, sold in predominance as a source of wild food and various forms ranging from capsules, raw medicine is thus well documented herbs, and tinctures; this includes A. throughout the region and not surprising to millefolium, H. perforatum, M. recutita, S. find here as well. nigra, T. serpyllum, T. platyphyllos, U.

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dioica, and V. myrtillus. its phytopharmacology. Vinca minor L. was another uncommonly Health Foods recorded species used as infusion to improve the general health. In general, it is Most of the plant foods quoted as being known to be a valuable medicinal plant use “healthy” by the informants referred to a few to prevention and treatment the wild vegetables used as filling for börek and cerebrovascular insufficiencies and to lacto­fermented cultivated vegetables. disorders, it increases cerebral blood flow, The Ottoman culinary tradition of preparing oxygen consumption and glucose utilization. wild plant­based savoury pies is widespread Further work on the bioactivity and across the Balkans and wild sorrel and dock toxicology of the traditional leaf infusion leaves (Rumex spp.) represent the most could be worthwhile. used ingredients. Both plants – sour and astringent at the same time (sorrel more Other ingredients for local health sour, dock more astringent) are consumed in practices the spring as a panacea and a healthy food serving as a reconstituent following the long, In addition to medicinal plants, other cold winter period. Moreover, similarly to ingredients gleaned from the environment what we found also among Albanian Gorani , are commonly used in the traditional medical the customs of preparing home­made lacto­ practices of this region. For example, we fermented plant ingredients, to consume documented the use of thirteen animal them during the winter, and also to drink the species for pharmacological application. This resulting sour liquid portion as a panacea is practice of using animal and their byproducts a cultural trait of South Slavs (and especially for medicine is known as zootherapy, and Gorani) and should be better investigated in has constituted an important component of terms of biological evaluation of the the pharmacopoeia across many cultures nutraceutical potentialities of these probiotic since ancient times. Similar to other foods. contemporary studies on zootherapeutic practices, we identified insects, birds, Uncommon Plant Uses mammals (small and large), and reptiles as ingredients for various medical afflictions. The most uncommon use documented in Unlike other studies on this topic, no aquatic the present work concerned the use of animals were reported. It should be noted, Euonymus europaeus L. fruiting branches in however, that as this was not a primary line teas as a cardiotonic. This is unusual of inquiry in interviews, which were mainly because across Europe, the plant is focused on the ethnopharmacological uses considered toxic and has never been quoted of plants and fungi, the scope of animals in our prior field studies as being internally uses and number of actual user reports are used. Although it was only reported by two likely highly underreported in the present informants, it was also being sold at a local study. Further research into zootherapeutic market; this finding should be better practices, as well as other practices which investigated by assessment of the chemical incorporate industrial materials or minerals, makeup of the water infusion as it pertains to would be useful to improving our the plant’s toxicological relevance as well as understanding of this phenomenon in the

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Balkans. activity of extracts from this species is the phloroglucinol, hyperforin. However, this Traditional formulations of compound is very unstable, especially in the Hypericum perforatum presence of heat and light , calling into question whether or not it is present in the Of all of the species encountered in our traditional oil, and if not, what is responsible field study, H. perforatum (locally referred to for the purported antibacterial activity of the as kantarion) dominated the discussion of folk remedy. more than half (52%) of all interviews Another major constituent commonly conducted. It had the highest use­value found in H. perforatum extracts is the index (UVc: 2.56), much higher than the napthodianthrone, hypericin. It is known to overall average of 0.095. This is similar to be a major cause of photosensitization and results of an ethnobotanical study in Eastern cause of hypericism, a form of Serbia, which also documented this as the photodermatitis. Research on the topical most frequently cited species, with 40.5% of application of hypericin gel and oil informants citing its use . formulations demonstrated a clinically Here, the flowering aerial parts were relevant rise in skin erythema. However, in reported to prepared by infusion to be drunk our extensive discussions with informants on for urological, respiratory and the use and effects (including adverse gastrointestinal complaints; but the most effects) of topical use of the kantarion oil, common preparation involved macerating there were no reports of photodermatitis or a the flowering aerial parts in a clear bottle full need to avoid sun exposure during use. of olive or sunflower oil in the sunlight for a This suggested that hypericin might be period of 40 days, at which time the oil will lacking in the traditional formulation, and this take on a deep blood red color. In some was confirmed in biochemical analyses . cases, this recipe included modifications, such as the addition of Calendula officinalis CONCLUSIONS flowers to the oil macerate, or addition of other materials such as iodine or brick A total of 389 distinct ethnomedical and powder to the final oil product. The H. food uses of 115 plant, 4 fungal, and 13 perforatum flower oil preparation (Oleum animal species were cited. Interviews with Hyperici), was reported for many different 91 informants yielded 1,050 total use topical applications for dermatological, citations for plants and fungi, and an cardiovascular and veterinary use. Almost additional 58 for animal products, with the half (44%) of all informants referenced highest consensus rankings attributed to the specific dermatological applications of categories of oral health, dermatological, Oleum Hyperici for wound healing, burn otolaryngological, food, and psychiatric injuries, skin infections, eczema, and skin applications. softening (emollient). In comparison to other ethnobotanical The antibacterial properties of H. studies conducted in the Western Balkans, perforatum is well known; growth inhibitory our findings reaffirm the importance of action of its extracts against S. aureus have certain families (Rosaceae, Lamiaceae and been previously reported. A major Asteraceae) as sources of food and constituent responsible for the antibacterial medicine in this region of South Kosovo. Of

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note, a total of 21 species are used for the natural world, and provide baseline data for purpose of general health, and many of future pharmacological studies on traditional these are commonly consumed as a “health remedies. In particular, details concerning food”. We noted two unusual plant uses not the parts used, mode of preparation or previously documented in the Balkans: the formulation, disease target, mode of use of Vinca minor leaf infusion as a healthy application, frequency of use, and adverse beverage and an infusion of Euonymus effects can provide important clues for europaeus as a cardiotonic. We also noted consideration in future laboratory analyses of the critical importance of Hypericum the cited ingredients for potential toxicity and perforatum as an ingredient for infusion and bioactivity. oil formulations used for several different categories of medical care, with ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS dermatological application of the Oleum Hyperici being the most prevalent of all plant We would like to extend our heartfelt uses recorded in the region. thanks to the communities and people who The H. perforatum oleolite paradox agreed to participate in this study. Special highlights an important issue in thanks to the students who participated in ethnopharmacology. Laboratory produced the training workshop and assisted with extracts do not necessarily reflect the interviews: Bledar Pulaj, Fatbardhë Kurti, chemical composition of the traditional Fisnik Asllani, Pajtim Bytyqi, Ylberza Thaqi, medicine in use by people. Differences in Mirsad Mehmeti, Andonita Buçinca, Leonora extraction method and formulation or Ibrahimi, Arbnora Bytyqi, Florentina Zeneli, delivery vehicle can yield substantial Zuhid Rama, and Samir Toro. Funding differences in the final product’s chemical support for this study was provided by the makeup and bioavailability, and thus impact US State Department, US Embassy in its potential bioactivity and toxicity. In order Kosovo (grant number S­KV420­14GR­096). to gain a more accurate understanding of the potential efficacy and safety of traditional REFERENCES medicines in the future, it is imperative that precise details concerning the extraction and Alves RRN and Rosa IL (2006). Why study the use of animal products in traditional formulation of raw natural materials are medicines? Journal of Ethnobiology and recorded and reported. Ethnomedicine 1:5. In conclusion, this study provides a solid Alves RRN and Alves HN (2011). The faunal foundation for the understanding of drugstore: Animal­based remedies used in ethnomedical practices of communities in traditional medicines in Latin America. Journal South Kosovo. Our findings demonstrate of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine 7:9­9. that local people rely on a broad and Blumenthal M, Ed. (1998). The Complete German Commission E Monographs. Boston, biodiverse set of natural resources for their American Botanical Council in Cooperation with food and health. Furthermore, natural Integrative Medicine Communications. resources of this region provide an important Costa­Neto E (1999). Healing with animals in source for acquisition of key ingredients for Feira de Santana City, Bahia, Brazil. Journal of food and medicine by local people. Ethnopharmacology 65(3):225 ­ 230. Ethnobiological research can provide critical de Albuquerque UP, de Medeiros PM, de Almeida insight into how local people interact with the ALS, Monteiro JM, de Freitas Lins Neto EM, de

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Received: 16 October 2017 Accepted: 20 February 2018 Published: 02 March 2018

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Apendix I. Ethnomedical and food uses of local taxa

Legend: St: Status. C: cultivated; SC: semi­cultivated; W: wild. Local Name: “­­“ indicates that no local name was cited. SR: Serbian name; BO: Bosniak name; GO: Gorani name AL: Albanian name. PU: Parts Used. AP: Aerial parts. Ba: Bark. Bd: Basidiome. Bu: bulb. imFl: immature flowers; Fbr: Flowering branch. FrBr: fruiting branches. Fl: Flowers. Fr: Fruits. Inflorescence: Inf. L: leaves. Ro: Roots. Se: Seeds. Sr: Storage root. Th: Thallus. Tu: Tubers. UFr: unripe fruit. Ysb: Young stems and branches.

Uis: Number of individual use citation reports by informants.

UVc: Use­value Index. This index measures the relative importance of each species based on its reported use by informants. FL: Fidelity Level %. This measure is useful for highlighting the central role of each taxa. Any taxa with ≤3 total use citations is excluded from this analysis due to limitations of this tool, and is denoted with ­­

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Appendix II. Ethnomedical uses of animals and their byproducts (zootherapeutic formulae)

Legend: St: Status. D: domesticated. W: Wild. Category of Use: D: Dermatological; O: Otolaryngolical; P: Psychiatric; R: Respiratory; V: Veterinary care Local Name: “­“ indicates that no local name was recorded

Uis: Number of individual use citation reports by informants.

UVc: Use­value Index. This index measures the relative importance of each species based on its reported use by informants. FL: Fidelity Level %. This measure is useful for highlighting the central role of each taxa. Any taxa with ≤3 total use citations is excluded from this analysis due to limitations of this tool, and is denoted with –

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41 Hajdari et al. 2018. Ethnomedical Knowledge among Slavic Speaking People in South Kosovo Ethnobio Conserv 7:6

Appendix III. Ethnomedical applications of minerals, industrial products and other materials

Legend: St: Status. P: purchased. H: homemade. W: wild. Category of Use: D: Dermatological; O: Otolaryngolical; V: Veterinary care Local Name: “­“ indicates that no local name was recorded Uis: Number of individual use citation reports by informants. UVc: Use­value Index. This index measures the relative importance of each species based on its reported use by informants. FL: Fidelity Level %. This measure is useful for highlighting the central role of each taxa. Any taxa with ≤3 total use citations is excluded from this analysis due to limitations of this tool, and is denoted with ­­

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