Belgrade, Central Club of Yugoslav Army, October, 17-19, 2001

Scientific and professional meeting “Days of Medicinal Plants 2001”, has been kept from 17^th till 19^th October, 2001, in the Universal hall of the Central Club of Yugoslav Army, Emilijana Josimovića str. 6, Belgrade. Meeting has been.comanised by Institute for Medicinal Plant Research “Dr. Josif Pančić” in co-operation with Federal Institute for Plant and Animal Genetic Resources. In the frame of working program of the meeting, following activities have been conducted. After the Opening ceremony (October 17), medicinal plant species valerian (Valeriana officinalis L.), was completely treated through several plenary lectures. These covered botanical, pharmacognostic, agronomic, pharmaceutical/technological, phytochemical, pharmacological, and economic aspects of this important plant. Eleven plenary lectures were presented in whole, and perfect response of all announced speakers has been recorded, just according to the schedule of these sessions. During the second day of the meeting (October 18), program has been conducted through oral and poster presentations, where 2 of 3 plenary lectures from the side of participants from abroad were presented, 10 oral presentations and 41 of 42 announced posters. These contributions have been covered broad spectrum of different aspects of work in the field of MAPs. Along with several contributions dealing with valerian, other MAPs studied were: Hypericum perforatum, Chamomilla recutita, Althaea officinalis, Mentha piperita, Silybum marianum, Salvia officinalis, Gentiana lutea, Gentiana dinarica, Melissa officinalis, Foeniculum vulgare, Malva silvestris, Nepeta rtanjensis, Viscum album, Centaurium pulchellum, Centela asiatica, Carlina acaulis, Epimedium alpinum, as well as genus Marrubium and family Lamiaceae. Studied topics were agronomy (agrotechnical parameters, mechanisation, plant diseases, seeds and planting material), phytochemistry (isolation and chemical characterisation of essential oils and different plant extracts), pharmacology and pharmacognosy (biological activity of essential oils, antimicrobial activity of plant extracts, effect of extracts and essential oils on induced lipid peroxidation and tumour cell lines (in vitro), encapsulation of plant extracts in liposomes, clinical testing of phytopreparations), as well as other topics dealing with collection, processing and use of MAPs, such as use of active substances of plant origin in the production of functional foods. During the third day of the meeting (October 19), Round table session on the subject: Recovery of Balkan Herbal Industry has been kept. Through two introductory lectures, given by Mr. Mehrdad Etemad and Mr. Samir Beširević, participants were informed about activities of SEED (Southeast Europe Enterprise Development) in the field of MAPs. Simultaneously, conclusions and recommendations coming out from the Balkan Herbal Forum, kept recently in Portorož, had been briefly reviewed. After that, through the open discussion, SEED’s approach to the development of small and medium size enterprises in the region has been explained in details. All those being interested to have general, as well as quite specific information were directed to Internet site www.balkanherbs.com, or to direct contact with SEED specialists. Finally, SEED representatives, distributed to participants selected written materials and brochures, dealing with the latest SEED’s efforts.

In the continuation of the program, professional excursion to the productory facilities of the Institute for Medicinal Plant Research “Dr. Josif Pančić” in Pančevo, where majority of participants took opportunity to see Institute’s collection of MAPs, experimental fields and units for processing of MAPs and production of phytopreparations.