Archives of Biological Sciences 2013 Volume 65, Issue 3, Pages: 1123-1129
https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS1303123S
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Knowledge of medicinal plants and their uses among secondary and grammar school students: A case study from Slovenia
Strgar Jelka (University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Pilih Mateja (Secondary medical school, Celje, Slovenia)
Pogačnik Marijan (Biotechnical Centre Naklo, Naklo, Slovenia)
Žnidarčič Dragan (University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Ljubljana, Slovenia)
The use of medicinal plants has been decreasing gradually. Our main objective
was to determine whether young people today are still familiar with medicinal
plants, and whether traditional knowledge, which forms part of the cultural
heritage, has been lost or is still being passed on to new generations. In
our study, we found that the majority of 19-year-olds used medicinal plants
occasionally. They mostly buy dried plants or products based on medicinal
plants; they rarely grew plants themselves. Their general knowledge
concerning the use and effects of using these plants was not satisfactory.
Students were only able to identify correctly a few medicinal plants, and
most were not able to recognize poisonous plants. It was proposed that more
time in school should be devoted to this topic because pupils did show
interest in medicinal plants. This could be in the form of an elective module
in the frame of an open curriculum that would also include growing plants in
a school garden.
Keywords: Medicinal plants, curriculum, students, knowledge, Slovenia