The medicinal plants in Bulgaria: list of species, usable parts, fields of application, toxicity and contraindications

Abstract The aim of this survey is to present an up-to-date list of medicinal plants on the territory of the Republic of Bulgaria and to systematize the information on: usable parts, the number of medicinal plants used in various fields of medicine, in cosmetics, the degree of toxicity and availability of information on contraindications for all wild medicinal plants that are found in the Republic of Bulgaria. As a result, we identified a total of 845 species of wild medicinal plants. Most of them are described in a special annex to the Medicinal Plants Act of the Republic of Bulgaria. In the literature on the use of medicinal plants in Bulgaria we found information about another 115 species of wild medicinal plants. In the present survey we did review of the usable parts of medicinal plants. We made a comparative analysis of the use of medicinal plants in the official, popular and veterinary medicine. The method of application of medicinal plants in medicine is discussed: externally and internally. Attention is paid to the use of medicinal plants in aromatherapy, dentistry and cosmetics. Considered are the poisonous plants among the medicinal plants and their degree of toxicity. A review of the available data on contraindications for the use of medicinal plants has been made.