Diarrhea is an intestinal disease which is developed because of malabsorption of ions, solutes, and water or increased release of electrolytes which leads to water accumulation in duct. Diarrhea also is defined as over 200 g stool per day which is usually reported as decreased consistency of stool from clinical perspective. In this review article, we sought to report the medicinal plants that are used as antidiarrheal agents according to the traditional medicine and ethnobotany of different provinces of Iran. The relevant articles, books, and documents about Iranian traditional medicine were searched for by the words, diarrhea, ethnobotany, and medicinal plants, in domestic and international databases including International Sciences Institute, Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, and Islamic World Science Citation Center. Achillea eriophora DC, Rhus coriaria L, Satureja hortensis, Agrimonia eupatoria L, Geum urbanum L, Artemisia sieberi Besser, Lonicera nummulariifolia, Jaub. & Spach, Rhus coriaria L, Achillea eriophora, Descurainia sophia, Fumaria parviflora, Rhamnus protrata, Amaranthus paniculatus L, Bunuim persicum, Foeniculum vulgare Miller, Phoneix dactylifera L, Ornithogalum persicum, Berberis vulgaris L, Descurainia sophia, Elaeagnus angustifolia L, Organumvulgare L, Satureja khuzistanica Jamzad, Stachis lavandulifolia L, Astragalus adscendens Boiss. & Hausskn, Faba vulgaris Moenchris, Medicago sativa L, Rumex pulcher L, Zizyphus spina-christi L. Willd, Crataegus curvisepala Lindm, Amaranthus retroflexus L, Nigella sativa L, Plantago psyllium L, Conyza canadensis (L) Cronq, Lythrum salicaria L, Sisymbrium irio L, Thymus daenensis celak, Achillea santolina, Chamomilla recutita L, Cydonia blonga Mill, Cuminum cyminum L, Allium cepa L, Elaeagnus angustifolia L, Mentha pulegium L, Viola tricolor L, Rumex crispus L, Punica granatum L, Plantago lanceolata Soejarto, Ocimum basilicum L, Foeniculum vulgare Mill, Rhus coriaria L, Cornus mas L, Urtica dioica L, Salix aegyptiaca L,Gundelia tournefortii L, Quercus brantii Lindl were reported to be some of the antidiarrheal plants of Iran. Because diarrhea may be developed by fungal, bacterial, viral, and non-infectious causes and many of the plants reported in this study contain antioxidant, pharmaceutically bioactive compounds, including flavones, flavonoids, phenolic compounds, tannins, and anthocyanins, then these plants can be investigated in the studies on treatments for diarrhea to produce nature-based and effective drugs used for this common disease with fewer side effects than chemical drugs
