Ethnopharmacological study of plants used against various diseases in the region of Northern Epirus, Albania

In Balkan countries, people still resort to traditional medicine as herbal plants are more easily accessible and often more cost effective for the locals. In the case of Northern Epirus, its rich flora biodiversity along with the knowledge of traditional medicine passed orally through the generations could be the key to the discovery of remarkable therapeutic agents. Under the European project “ETHICSTWIN”, an ethnobotanical study was carried out among Albanian, Aromanian and Greek communities living in the areas of Northern Epirus, Albania, regarding the traditional uses of wild plants possessing nutritional and medicinal value and home-made medical remedies. More specifically, the survey was conducted in 16 villages by interviewing 28 locals, including individuals from each community. After processing the data of 84 questionnaires completed, 120 plant taxa were found to be used as nutrition agents as well as for treating numerous diseases such as Allium cepa L, Cornus mas L., Crataegus monogyna Jacq., Hypericum perforatum L., Matricaria chamomilla L., Origanum vulgare subsp. hirtum (Link) A.Terracc., Punica granatum L., Rosa×damascena Herrm., Salvia officinalis L., Sideritis raeseri Boiss. & Heldr., Urtica dioica L., Vitis vinifera L . Through the comparison of scientific data found in literature with the information obtained from our study, it was demonstrated that the traditional use of the majority of the mentioned plants can be justified, highlighting the crucial role of Ethnobotanical research in providing the required data for both implementing community-based management of the local natural resources and further developing small-scale markets of local herbal and food products. Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany