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.
