Antidiarrheal Activity of Kejek Tea Infusion (Camellia sinensis L.) in Swiss Webster Male Mice

Currently, many medicinal plants claim to have traditional therapeutic value, but their efficacy is not supported by scientific evidence. People in Indonesia, particularly those in rural areas, continue to lack access to official health services. They frequently treat illnesses with natural remedies, particularly diarrhea. Therefore, this study was conducted to evaluate the antidiarrheal activity of kejek tea infusion (C. sinensis L.) in male mice of the Swiss Webster strain. The method used in this study was a protection method against oleum ricini induction, with the following parameters observed: onset and duration of diarrhea, frequency of diarrhea, stool weight, stool consistency, and intestinal transit method to see the mechanism of antidiarrheal action on intestinal peristalsis, based on the effect on the ratio of the intestinal distance taken by a marker in a specific time, in experimental animals. The results indicated that the infusion of Kejek tea with various concentrations, notably 3%, 4%, and 5%, had anti-diarrheal activity by decreasing the weight of the stool, the frequency of diarrhea, the stool consistency score, the duration of diarrhea, the onset of diarrhea, and the ratio of passages traversed by norit in Swiss Webster male mice induced by oleum ricini. The Kejek tea infusion test preparation with a concentration of 5% exhibited the highest antidiarrheal activity. Further studies are needed to support the source of new potential agents as anti-diarrhea derived from natural ingredients.