The natural resources present an inexhaustible source of material, of a character that quite differs, of different roles in nature, but at the same time very diverse and varied usage for mankind. Among these heterogeneous natural resources, special place belongs to medicinal plants. These plants have fascinated men from the time immemorial because of the contents of their specific substances.
The usage of medicinal plants and the skill of treatment is deeply injected in life of the people of this region, who know well the medicinal features of plants from their environment, and have used them for a long time to heal many diseases. Their preparation and usage are tightly connected with human customs and life in the past. Arriving on these territories the ancient Slavs pervading with native Balkans created the culture in which plant healing was the only way to heal people and animals for centuries. The influence from the East and West, folk doctors and collectors of medicinal plants from the Mediterranean and other countries and all this entangled with the medicine of warriors, shepherds and monks, created the experiences which had been acquired, preserved and transmitted on young generations. The monasteries were suitable for development the medicine because the monk's life, full of renouncement, long fasts and hard work, demanded treatment, so the first written facts about use and treatment with medicinal plants were monastic codex's: The Hodosh' monastic codex from 14th century and the Hilandar's medicinal codex ensued in 15th or 16th century. Parallel with the development of medicine in monasteries the treatment with medicinal plants was developed among people, which presented the basis of folk's medicine, because a century-old experience noted well and transmitted, by tradition, on future generations the medicinal features of plants and the diseases which can be cured by them.
The rich tradition of using medicinal plants greatly originates from the great diversity of natural conditions, relief and climate of Yugoslavia. The unique geographic location and regional climate conditions of Yugoslavia caused the realisation of diverse genetic potential of medicinal and aromatic plants. The diversity of plants with medicinal components offers considerable possibilities for biosynthesis of many diverse active chemical substances, diverse by chemical composition and influencing the improvement of people's health conditions. The considerable richness of bio-diversity in our country enables its exploitation and at the same time imposes the necessity of protection from its irrational using. So, the knowledge of all sorts of medicinal plants, sub-species, varieties, forms and ecotypes is the safest way to advance the use of medicinal plants but, at the same time, an essential prerequisite for preserving special diversity of medicinal plants on their natural residence.
With planned breeding, rational usage and observing the population of medicinal plant varieties assure their survival and vitality and preserve the bio-diversity of medicinal plants. Finding out the optimal measure to increase the breeding of medicinal plants and natural conditions will provide the eternal maintenance in using the genetic resources of medicinal plants in Yugoslavia.
Recently, the massive orientation on plantation producing of the most valuable pharmacological varieties is noticed, so the surfaces under medicinal plants are in permanent growing, an average being between 3 and 5.000 ha.
Also, there is large spreading and introduction of this plant species in the downhill-mountain region where the application of chemical means in the protection of plants is minimal, as the increase of participation of the private sector in the entire surfaces of land.
The development of production of medicinal plants in Yugoslavia is directed on new technologies in the breeding as well as in the processing, and the very exploitation is established on natural active principles. Contemporary processing capacities of Yugoslavia enable the connection with world trade and the orientation on export.
The medicinal plants are certainly the oldest remedy and the primary raw material of ancient civilisations so the healing with medicinal plants - phytotherapy is old as mankind. The possibilities and manners of use of plants' raw materials are numerous and diverse in our country: as monocomponent tea or tea mixture for obtaining tinctures, extracts, production of ether oils, isolates, phytomedicins as accessory medicinal means.
The products based on medicinal plants in our country are mainly in the form of solution, elixir, drops, syrup, suspension, lotion, cream, gels, pills, tablets for use in mouth, capsules.
By the indications and possible uses, the phytomedicins which can be found in our region are: the means which regulate the body's own defence mechanism, influents on the level of blood sugar, applies to alleviate psychical difficulties, to rush blood circulation, to alleviate hemorrohoid difficulties, then the means which tranquillises difficulties at the disturbance of the respiratory tract, to alleviate the inflammation of mucous membrane, oral cavity, throat and gums, to alleviate the cold and influenza, to alleviate coughing and the cough, the means which alleviate difficulties of disturbance of the prostate gland function and digestive tract, to alleviate the inflammation of the urinary tract and menstrual disorders, to alleviate the inflammations and other changes on skin and mucous membrane, to alleviate difficulties in rheumatism and arthitis.
The use of medicinal plants as a cosmetic means for maintaining the beauty, care, cleaning and protection is known for a long time. In cosmetology the medicinal plants are used in the form of perfume base, cologne water, toilet water, lotion, soap, substances with sweat-inhibiting effect, creams and milk for care, anti-ride cream, masks. In cosmetology the medicinal plants are used to attain astringent action, antiphlogistic activity, bactericidal activity, bacteriostatic effect, granulation-promoting effect, moisturising effect, hyperemising and tonic function.
The special group of preparations for external use are the products of aroma therapy. Aroma therapy is based on self-medication using the ether oils in additional treatment of many hronical diseases or in the preventive use of ether oils to prevent people's health. These products are recommended for inhalation, massage, as a compress, bath, solutions for rinsing, gargling, etc. The application of aroma therapy in our country is more and more present.
In our country the medicinal plants are being used in food industry for a long time. The medicinal plants have the greatest application in the form of spices in gastronomy, because of the wish to satisfy all human senses. However, when it is about satisfying senses, the sense of taste must be first. Because of that the great number of spices which ameliorate the look of a meal are not numerous (marigold, saffron).
The medicinal plants are rarely used as natural antioxidant (sage), and in the conditoring industry in our country. However, there are more alcoholic drinks, juices, liquors and other sorts of drinks where the medicinal plants are added because of their aroma (anise, liquorice, sage, fennel, coriander, elder, bilberry etc.).