Traditional Herbal Remedies for Diarrhea: Insights from Iranian Traditional Medicine

Abstract

Diarrhea is a common gastrointestinal disorder that may result from infections, dietary disturbances, or intestinal dysfunction. In Iranian traditional medicine, several medicinal plants such as sumac, psyllium, quince seed, and pomegranate rind are recommended due to their astringent and gut-regulating properties. This review aims to identify key traditional remedies and compare them with available modern scientific evidence. This study was conducted as a document-based review. Primary sources included authoritative texts in Iranian traditional medicine, standard reference books on herbal pharmacotherapy, and relevant scientific databases. The therapeutic claims reported in classical medical literature were systematically compared with findings from modern preclinical and experimental studies. The reviewed literature indicates that a wide range of medicinal plants, including Phoenix dactylifera L., Ferula assa-foetida L., Anethum graveolens L., Trachyspermum ammi (L.) Sprague, Bunium persicum (Boiss.) B. Fedtsch, Apium graveolens L., Coriandrum sativum L., Matricaria chamomilla L., Achillea millefolium L., Borago officinalis L., Trigonella foenum-graecum L., Quercus brantii L., Cinnamomum verum J. Presl, Ocimum basilicum L., Mentha piperita L., Origanum vulgare L., Sideritis spp. L., Thymus kotschyanus Boiss., Myrtus communis L., Plantago major L., Plantago ovata Forsk., Descurainia sophia (L.) Webb ex Prantl, Rosa damascena Mill., and Zingiber officinale Roscoe, have been traditionally used to alleviate diarrheal symptoms. Many of these plants have also demonstrated antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and gut motility–modulating activities in experimental studies. The available evidence suggests that medicinal plants documented in classical Iranian medical sources may serve as potential natural or adjunct therapeutic agents for the management of diarrhea. Integrating traditional medical knowledge with contemporary scientific evidence may contribute to the development of safer and more effective treatment strategies for gastrointestinal disorders.

Keywords: Gastrointestinal disorders, Ethnopharmacology, Herbal therapeutics, Plant-based medicine, Traditional remedies, Phytotherapy, Gut health