Abstract Book - 3rd International Symposium on Medicinal Plants ...

hydratation. Aguamiel is cooked for a 45% brix syrup, remedy for cough and sweetner. Agave
saps nutritional uses are re-valorised in Jalisco, this is the first empirical investigation identifying
species, areas, cultivation and uses.
Key words: Agave sap, Jalisco, medicinal remedies, salmianae, tequila.
9.12 Traditional Use of Juniper communis L. Berries for Flavored Spirit
Production in Serbia
Vučurović M. Vesna, and Razmovski N. Radojka
Faculty of Technology, University of Novi Sad, Boulevard Cara Lazara 1, 21000 Novi Sad,
Republic of Serbia.
<strong>Abstract</strong>: Medicinal plants represent a valuable resource for alternative medicine and
livelihoods of many people in Serbia. The rural communities and income generation rely on
medicinal plants for their primary healthcare needs. The fruit of Juniper communis L. are
commonly and traditionally used for production of juniper-flavored spirit in Serbia. In the production
of traditional alcoholic beverages, juniper berries are used either as flavoring for grain and fruit
spirit or as both fermentation substrate and flavoring agent. Various techniques have been used
for juniper-flavored spirit production. Our study provides comparison of different techniques for
juniper-flavored spirit. Each technique has particular advantages and disadvantages.
Nevertheless, juniper-flavored spirit is most frequently obtained by addition of 10g dried mature
berries in 1l of plum brandy (25% v/v ethanol) and storage for 40 days in the sunlight exposure.
During that time aromatic, antioxidant and antimicrobial compounds are extracted. Then distillation
of this plum brandy along with the berries of juniper is carried out. The obtained distillate is ageing
in oak barrel for 3-6 months. Juniper-flavored spirit has been traditionally used in Serbia and
others Balkan countries as diuretic, for disinfection of urinary organs, for improving digestion,
expectorant, anti-gastric diseases, kidney diseases etc. The practical implementation of the
selected technique presented in our findings could serve as a basis for further research in the field
of the production of beverages with healing properties, with a view to developing new medicines
for the treatment of the diseases of the modern times. This research is financed by Ministry of
Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia (Project TR-31002).
Key words: Juniper, juniper-flavored spirit, medical plant.
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