Biodiversity of wild fruits with medicinal potential in Serbia

Abstract

Wild edible fruits are highly valued in human nutrition and traditional medicine due to their high content of dietary fibers, vitamins, minerals, and natural antioxidants. Physiologically active components that can potentially reduce risks for chronic diseases leads to these plants being classified as “functional food.” The different classes of phytochemicals can be synthetized based on plants’ genetic potential and environmental conditions. Although these phytochemicals have a lower bioactive potential than pharmaceuticals, their daily intake in small amounts can have noticeable long-term physiological effects. The area of the Balkan Peninsula is characterized by a unique biodiversity and represents one of the centers of plant diversity. Serbia is distinguished by its exceptional floral diversity of vascular plants, which is the result of specific climatic, orographic, edaphic, and historical conditions. Wild fruits mostly inhabit mesophilous deciduous forests in hilly–mountainous regions. In the territory of Serbia, over 90 species of wild fruits have been described, belonging to 15 families and 26 genera.