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RESUME
Eva Ivanišová
Useful Wild-growing Plant Species

Plants accompany a person for life - from birth to grave. Almost every day, in various forms
is served to our table as part of food, many plants is necessary for technical and
bioenergetic purposes, and a large group of plants are used in medicine, pharmacy as well
as in folk medicine.

Approximately one thousand types of medicinal plants grow in Europe - about 800 are
used in folk medicine, more than 300 in European official medicine and 150 in Slovakian
official medicine. Medicinal plants and their bioactive substances are of natural origin,
therefore they are considered be the most natural medicines, as evidenced by multiple
historical records and observations. In the past, plants were the only available option for
successful treatment of almost all kinds of diseases. The emergence of modern medicine,
combined with the invention and mass preparation of synthetic drugs, has made the use of
medicinal plants recede. People, however, have progressed to discover that modern
medicine offers treatment options for various diseases, but many synthetic substances also
have accompanying side-effects - the number of allergic reactions, intolerances,
contraindications, and mainly the bacterial resistance to antibiotics increases, which is a
very serious problem, for future generations. These reasons lead to the fact that more and
more people are returning to nature, which safely provides not only treatments for the
treatment and prevention of diseases, beautifying or livelihood, but also relaxation,
pleasure, stopping in busy and agitated times, which is the best kind of psychohygiene.

The presented publication provides an overview of 56 species of wild edible plants. Most of
the plants described in this publication are among the weeds we "struggle" with them,
destroy them, but very often these species are very rich for vitamins, minerals, antioxidants
and many other biologically active substances whose usability from these plants is much
higher than their usability from tablets and nutritional supplements. Plants are described
not only in botanical characteristic, but also for their occurrence, chemical composition and
processing (drying, storage). The use of these interesting species for the treatment of
various types of diseases is also described, as well as their use in cosmetics and
gastronomy, which is currently a subject of great interest - the enlargement of the meal list
and especially its enrichment of health benefits. At the end of the publication, six species of
plants which grow around us are also briefly described - we mostly see them as ornamental
species, but we can also use them very effectively to improve our lives.

I believe that this publication will provide you with a lot of useful and new information that
you can use effectively not only in phytotherapy, but also in cosmetics and gastronomy.

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