University of Primorska
Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies
As part of the project, we are collecting information about artichokes from a variety of sources. In his book Slovenske zdravilne rastline (Slovenian Medicinal Plants, 1979), Dr Pavle Bohinc provided an interesting botanical description of the artichoke: an upright stem growing up to one and a half metres tall, large leaves that are green on top and white and hairy underneath, and bracts arranged one above another like roof tiles. He also attributed to the plant the ability to stimulate liver function and promote the production and secretion of bile.
Today, the European Medicines Agency classifies artichoke leaves as a traditional herbal medicinal product used to relieve digestive complaints. However, it emphasises that this use is based on long-standing tradition rather than sufficient clinical evidence.
Older reference books are valuable historical sources, but for reliable answers about the effectiveness and proper use of artichoke, we turn to contemporary professional and scientific literature.
The Strunjan Artichoke project is implemented within the framework of the LAS Zelena Istra Local Action Group and co-funded by the European Union through the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), under the Slovenian Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plan 2023–2027 (LEADER/CLLD).
