Traditional Uses of Thymus Species in the Balkans: Ethnopharmacology, Food, and Cultural Heritage.

Thymus species play an important role in traditional medicine, food practices, and cultural heritage across the Balkan Peninsula, a region characterized by high floristic diversity and long-standing ethnobotanical traditions. This review provides a comprehensive synthesis of published ethnobotanical and ethnopharmacological data on the traditional uses of Thymus species in the Balkans. A systematic survey of literature published between 1900 and 2022 was conducted using major scientific databases and classical ethnobotanical sources, covering Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, and the European part of Turkey. In total, 553 records of traditional use were documented. The results reveal that Thymus taxa are most frequently employed for the treatment of respiratory and gastrointestinal disorders, followed by applications related to the nervous, urinary, cardiovascular, and integumentary systems. Culinary uses such as spices, herbal teas, beverages, and food preservatives are widely reported, highlighting the close connection between medicinal and dietary traditions. The analysis also identifies significant taxonomic inconsistencies in the ethnobotanical literature, particularly the frequent misapplication of names such as T. serpyllum and T. vulgaris, which complicates the interpretation of traditional knowledge. Overall, the strong cross-cultural consistency of uses across Balkan countries supports the pharmacological relevance of Thymus species and aligns well with modern phytotherapeutic evaluations. This review underscores the importance of critically integrating ethnobotanical data, taxonomic accuracy, and contemporary phytotherapy to better understand and utilize the therapeutic potential of Thymus species.