Public Perception of Red Clover’s Uses in Phytomedicine and Phytopharmacy

Alexandru D. COSTIN; Andreea D. ONA; Ancuta Emilia BOANTA; Ioana  BERINDEAN; Ionuț RACZ; Mihai POPA; Carmen DONOGAN; Leon MUNTEAN

doi:10.15835/hpm.v32i1-2.15029

Alexandru D. COSTIN University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca
Andreea D. ONA University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca
Ancuta Emilia BOANTA Agricultural College Traian Săvulescu Targu Mures
Ioana BERINDEAN University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca
Ionuț RACZ University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca
Mihai POPA University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca
Carmen DONOGAN University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca
Leon MUNTEAN University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine, Cluj-Napoca

DOI: https://doi.org/10.15835/hpm.v32i1-2.15029

Keywords: phytopharmacy, phytomedicine, public perception, Red clover, Trifolium pratense L.

Abstract

Red clover is an important perennial allogamous plant from the Fabaceae family that plays a significant role in agriculture, health and environmental sustainability worldwide. This study aims to evaluate people's knowledge of the medicinal properties of red clover and their opinion on its use in medicine. The study was carried out on people from Cluj-Napoca, using an online questionnaire developed in Google Forms. The survey link was randomly sent via Messenger, WhatsApp and Gmail platforms between October 1 and December 1, 2024. A total of 110 participants took part in the study. The questions from section B showed good consistency, with a Cronbach alpha of 0.723. Most respondents with high knowledge of red clover’s medicinal use were from medical (10.3%) and related fields (86.3%), and they obtained their information mostly from internet (43.6%). Most respondents believe that red clover-based medicines offer health benefits (52%) and would consider using them based on a doctor's recommendation (57%). Overall, people expressed interest in the use of red clover, highlighting the plant’s importance for health.