Treatment of Diarrhoea Using Traditional Medicines: Contemporary Research in South Africa and Zimbabwe

Abstract

Background: Gastrointestinal disorders, diarrhoea in particular remain a major concern in South Africa and Zimbabwe resulting in high mortality rates when left untreated. This investigation was aimed at documenting herbal medicines used in the treatment of diarrhoea in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Materials and Methods: A review of literature on plant species used as remedies for diarrhoea in South Africa and Zimbabwe was undertaken by the use of different electronic databases such as Google Scholar, ScienceDirect, Scopus as well as library searches at the University of Fort Hare, South Africa and the National Herbarium of Zimbabwe (SRGH) in Harare, Zimbabwe. Results: This study reported ten plant species most widely used to treat diarrhoea in South Africa and Zimbabwe. Of the lot, Sclerocarya birrea (A. Rich.) Hochst. was the most popular medicinal plant used as antidiarrhoeal remedy (11 literature citations) in South Africa and Zimbabwe, followed by Elephantorrhiza elephantina (Burch.) Skeels and Schotia brachypetala Sond. with eight literature citations each. The roots (47.4%) are the most frequently used plant parts, followed by bark (26.3%), leaves (21.1%) and rhizomes (5.3%). Conclusion:The documented antidiarrhoeal activities of this repository of selected plant species against diarrhoea causing agents such as rotavirus, Escherichia coli, Shigella, Campylobacter, Giardia, Entamoeba histolytica, Salmonella, Yersinia and Vibrio cholerae calls for further investigation aimed at isolating phytochemical compounds responsible for antidiarrhoeal activities, their mode of action, and also establish their safety and efficacy. This cross-cultural acceptance of antidiarrhoeal herbal medicines and the use of the same plant species in different geographical zones serve as an indication of the importance of herbal medicines in primary healthcare of local communities.

Knowledge, attitudes and practices of health care professionals towards adverse drug reaction reporting in public sector primary health care facilities in a South African district

“…However, only 60.5% of HCPs considered it necessary to report events related to herbal drugs which is a concern (Table 1). This is important in South Africa and across Africa since many such remedies are currently being used [84][85][86] and there is appropriate legislation to address this [87]. However, this attitude may reflect a general reluctance among the population to admit to seeking traditional remedies although such practices may be common especially among rural black households in South Africa [88].…”

Lannea Acida: A Review of Its Medicinal Uses and Phytochemistry and Pharmacological Properties

“…These results show that L. acida extracts have potential in the management of gastrointestinal problems such as abdominal bloating, constipation, diarrhea, dysentery, and stomach ache [24,25,27,28,34,[36][37][38][39][40][41]. Research by Stark et al [71] and Maroyi [72] showed that medicinal plants have potential in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders and the pain that is associated with the disorders.…”

Posisi Relatif Provinsi di Indonesia Berdasarkan Penggunaan Pengobatan Tradisional: Analisis Komponen Utama Biplot

“…Proporsi obat tradisional sebagai jenis obat diare yang disimpan di rumah tangga Indonesia sebesar 19,2%, menduduki peringkat ketiga setelah adsorbans (39,4%) dan antimikroba (20,2%) (Raini and Isnawati, 2017). Sementara itu penggunaan ramuan herba untuk mengendalikan diare pada balita masih diperdebatkan meskipun praktek ini ditemukan di beberapa negara (Agunu et al, 2005;Budhathoki et al, 2016;Maroyi, 2016;Woldeab et al, 2018). Namun ada juga penelitian yang menyatakan penggunaan ramuan herba efektif dalam mengurangi frekuensi buang air besar (Anheyer et al, 2017).…”