Traditional Medicinal Plants for Diarrhea Treatment in Eastern Indonesia: An Ethnomedicinal Perspective

Abstract

Diarrhea is still one of the main endemic diseases in Indonesia, especially in rural and remote areas spread across various provinces, including eastern Indonesia. Although modern medicine has been widely available, the use of medicinal plants as a form of traditional medicine to overcome diarrhea is still widely found in various regions of Indonesia. This article aims to analyze and inventory the diversity of medicinal plants used by the people of eastern Indonesia in treating diarrhea. This article uses the literature review method of journal articles published between 2015 and 2024 to examine how local people in eastern Indonesia deal with diarrhea. The results of the study show that there are 15 species from 12 plant families used by 13 ethnic groups, with the highest frequency in guava (Psidium guajava) and the dominant family used is Myrtaceae. The most widely used part of the plant is the leaves, while the most common processing method is by boiling and the way to use it by drinking, which is considered more practical and effective. This study emphasizes the importance of preserving traditional knowledge and developing ethnomedical-based phytopharmaceuticals.