Ethnopharmacological therapies in the treatment of diabetes in Serbia

Abstract

The use of ethnopharmacological therapies is a part of human tradition. For centuries, they have been used in the treatment of diabetes, as well as other illnesses. The aim of this study was to examine the frequency of traditional medicine use in Serbia. The study was conducted as an online survey in February 2018. 130 people were surveyed, 55.38 % of which were people diagnosed with diabetes. The most commonly used herbal substituents were M. piperita L. (21 %), traditional herbal mixtures designed to regulate the primary and secondary diabetes complications (15%), M. chamomilla L. (13 %) and pharmaceutical supplements based on traditional recipes (10 %). 100 % of people with diabetes adhere to contemporary pharmacotherapy, while 25.86 % of people without diabetes do not use pharmacotherapy, but exclusively traditional medicine. There is no significant difference between the diabetic population that uses traditional medicine (51.34 %) and the one who does not (48.61 %), whereas in non-diabetic population the difference is significant (p < 0.05) so that 87.93 % of them regularly use medicinal herbs. More women than men use ethnopharmacological treatments (p < 0.05). The age of the respondents and their education also have an impact on the choice of therapy, so ethnopharmacological approaches are the most often used by faculty educated people aged 30 to 50 years. Moreover, people pay attention to the quality of supplements they use, i.e. 57.96 % of people buy them in pharmacies, 29.55 % with certified sellers, and only 12.49 % at the local market.