AN ETHNOBOTANICAL STUDY OF MEDICINAL PLANTS WITH ANTIDIARRHEAL EFFECTS IN THE SETU REGION, BEKASI, WEST JAVA, INDONESIA

Dissa Ayu Putri Andini, Dinar Salma Putri Utami, Abielza Yugha Geralda, Intan Nurcahyani, Ira Puspawati, Seftiani Su’aida Mahfud, Syifa Salsabila Nur Fauziah, Delika Syalomita Sitompul, Dhavid Twua Mangunsong, Deden Sukandar, Ilham Bintang Pratama, Achmad Fauzi Arasta Sukindar, Risti Septanti, Ismi Puji Apriani, Siti Jamilah and Maulana Yusuf Alkandahri*

ABSTRACT

The use of traditional medicinal plants in the management of diarrhea has long been practiced in Indonesia. Currently, researchers are starting to look for new antidiarrheal compound candidates derived from natural ingredients that have been empirically proven to have antidiarrheal effects. This research aims to document and preserve the use of ethnomedicine to treat diarrhea by people in the Setu Region, Bekasi, and West Java, Indonesia. Fieldwork was carried out from March to April 2024 using direct interviews, questionnaires, and discussions. Plant species are identified based on standard taxonomic methods, flower morphological characteristics, and where possible, using samples for comparison, as well as consultation with experts and the literature. The plant types obtained were grouped into families according to the Cronquist classification system. Plant names were checked against the Plant List (www.plantlist.org) and the International Plant Name Index (www.ipni.org). This research reports that 30 plant species are commonly used by people in the Setu Region to treat diarrhea. Among the various plant parts used, leaves (53.3%) are most frequently used in making medicines, followed by rhizomes (16.7%), seed (10%), root (6.7%), fruit (6.7%), stem, and rind (respectively 3.3%). Meanwhile, the most frequently used preparation methods were decoction (80.0%) and infusion (20.0%). The results of this research confirm that people in the Setu Region still rely heavily on medicinal plants for their health care system, especially for the treatment of diarrhea with the most frequently used parts of the leaves and their use in decoctions and infusions.

Keywords: Traditional medicine, Ethnomedicinal plants, Setu Region, Diarrhea.