alexandrina Mill. Mill., Leguminosae () Gard. Dict., Ed. 8, no.2 (1768). Cassia senna L.,Cassia lanceolata Forssk., Cassia acutifolia Delile,

Names Arabic: Sana , Sana makki , Sana hindi , Sana hegazi , Salamekki English: True senna, senna French: Cassia Sen

Compiled by: Prof. F. M. Hammouda, Prof. S. I. Ismail, Dr. N. S. Abdel-Azim and Dr. K. A. Shams Status Edited by: Prof. K. H. Batanouny The wild are overexploited and collected to Photo by K. H. Batanouny be sold in the market for their folk medicinal uses. Cultivation of the is important. It could be Morphological Description cultivated with limited water resources. Flower and : The flowers are yellow, occasion- ally white or pink. They are located in axillary or Part(s) Used terminal positions on erect . The calyx is Senna and pods deeply divided with a short tube and 5 regular, imbricate sepals. There are 5 layered petals. The 4 to Collection 10 stamens are often irregular and partially sterile. the are gathered by cutting the branches in The ovary is sessile or short-stemmed with a short autumn, commencing in September, exposing them or oblong style. The pod can be cylindrical or flat to the sun until they dry. angular winged and often with horizontal walls between the . The seeds are numerous and Preparation either horizontally or vertically compressed. infusion, decoction, dried leaflets, dried pods, cold Leaves, Stem and Root: The Cassia comprises macerate, fluid extract. , subshrubs, and herbaceous perennials with paired-pinnate leaves. There are axes with stem Use glands either between the leaflets or on the petiole. oral. The stipules have varying shapes. Constituents Geographical Distribution Anthraquinone glycosides; in the leaf; sennosides A Local: The South Eastern desert of , and B based on the aglycones sennidin A and region, Sinai and Gebel Elba. sennidin B, sennosides C and D which are glyco- Regional: Egypt, Libya and Algeria. sides of heterodianthrones of aloe-emodin and Global: Central Sahara to Arabia and , rhein. Others include palmidin A, rhein anthrone along the Red Sea coast to and South- and aloe-emodin glycosides, some free wards to Kenya. anthraquinones. In the fruit: sennosides A and B and a closely related glycoside sennoside A1. Ecology Naphthalene glycosides; tinnevellin glycoside and 6- C. senna is native to tropical Africa and cultivated in hydroxymusizin glycoside, in both leaves and . Egypt and the Sudan and elsewhere; it is native to Miscellaneous; mucilage, flavonoids, volatile oil, India and cultivated mainly in India and Pakistan. sugars, resins.

A Guide to in North Africa 249 Pharmacological Actions and Traditional Medicine and Toxicity Indigenous Knowledge Senna is a stimulant . Sennosides are History: Senna is an Arabian name, and the drug cathartic. Sennosides A and C have equal purgative was first brought into use by the Arabian physicians. power in mice. Senna products along with cascara products are Traditional Medicinal Uses generally considered the drugs of choice among Constipation: a stimulant laxative, useful for anthraquinone cathartics and are also generally either habitual constipation or occasional use. considered safe. Excessive or prolonged use of senna may lead to colon damage and other problems. References However, when senna is given in doses sufficient to Alam; N., Gupta; P.C., (1986). "Structure of a water produce a motion of physiological water content, it soluble polysaccharide from the seeds of Cassia can be safely administered, even over a long period angustifolia". Planta Med., 52: 308-10. of time. Senna dose not induce specific lesions in the Kinnunen; O., Winblad; I., Koistinen; P., Salokannel; nerve plexus of the intestinal wall, and when used J. (1993). "Safety and efficacy of a bulk laxatsi- rationally, does not lead to electrolyte losses or ve containing senna versus lactulose in the tre- habituation. Chronic abuse can disturbe electrolyte atment of chronic constipation in geriateic balance, leading to potassium deficiency, heart patient". Pharmacology 47 (suppl 1): 253-255. desfunction, and muscular weakness, especially Müller; B.M. et al., (1989). "Isolation and structural under concomitant use of heart-affecting glycosides, investigation of a polysaccharide from Cassia thiazide diuretics, corticoadrenal steroids, and angustifolia leaves". Planta Med., 55:99. licorice root. Significant inhibitory activity in mice "Monograph Sennae folium", Bundesanzeiger (July against leukaemia has been documented for aloe- 21, 1993). emodin. For the treatment of constipation, senna is Shelton; M. G. (1980). "Standardized senna in the usually adminstered as tablets, granula or syrup. management of constipation in the puerpe- Senna should not be given to patients with intestinal rium" : a clinical trial. S Afr Med J 57(3) :78-80. obstruction or with undiagnosed abdominal symp- World Health Organization (WHO) 1999. «Senna toms; care should also be taken by patients with folium» and «Senna fructus ». 27. WHO inflammatory bowel disease and prolonged use Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants, Vol. should be avoided. Non–standardized anthraquinone-containing laxa- General References tive preparations should not be taken during Batanouny, K. H., (1999). "Wild Medicinal Plants in preganancy or lactation since their pharmacological Egypt". (With contribution of: E. Aboutabl, M. action is unpredictable. Shabana & F. Soliman). With support of the Swiss Development Co-operation (SDC). Pharmacopoeia Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, • Egyptian pharmacopoeia 1972 Egypt. The World Conservation Union (IUCN), • British pharmacopoeia 1980 Switzerland. pp. 76. • BHP 1983. Bisset; N.G. (1994). "Herbal Drugs and • BHP 1990. Phytopharmaceuticals" (Wichtl M., editor, • Martindale 30th edition. German edition). Stuttgart: Medpharm. Boulos, L. (2002). "Flora of Egypt", volume two, Pharmaceutical Products pp. 360, printed by Al Hadara Publishing, , • Sennalax Tablets (purified calcium salt of Egypt. extract) (). Bradley; P.R.,(1992). "British Herbal Compendium", • Mucinum Tablets (Amriya Pharm. Ind.). Vol.1. Bournemouth: British • Laxative tea bags preparation. (Mepaco). Association. • Intestinal tea bags preparation. (Sekem). British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, (1983). • Eucarbon, (Sedico). Bournemouth: British Herbal Association.

250 A Guide to Medicinal Plants in North Africa British Herbal Pharmacopoeia, (1990). Vol. 1. Cosmetics”, Pub. ohn Wiley & Sons Inc.N.Y. Bournemouth: British Herbal Association. Martindal: The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 29 edition, British Pharmaceutical Codex, (1973). London: (1982). (Reynolds IEF, editor). London: The Pharmaceutical Press. Pharmaceutical Press. Chevallier; A. (1996). "Encyclopedia of Medicinal Martindal: The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30 edition, Plants", New York, DK Publishing, 72. (1993). (Reynolds IEF, editor). London: The De Smet P.A.G.M. et al.(1993). "Adverse Effects of Pharmaceutical Press. Herbal Drugs", Vol. 2. Berlin: Springer-Verlag. Martindal: The Extra Pharmacopoeia (1989), 29th Der Marderosian ; A. (1999). "The Review of edition. (Reynolds JEF, editor). London: The Natural Products". St Louis :facts and Pharmaceutical Press. Comparisons Tackholm, Vivi. (1974) "Student’s Flora of Egypt". "Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used 2nd edition, Cairo University, Egypt. in Food, Drugs and Cosmetics", (1980). New The Merck Index. (1989). An Encyclopedia of York-Chichester: Wiley. Chemicals, Drugs and Biologicals, 11 th. European Pharmacopoeia. 2 nd edition, (1980). Edition. Rahway NJ: Merck. Strasbourg: Maisonneuve. Wichtl; M. and Bisset; N.G. (1994)."Herbal Drug Fairbairn; J.W. (1976). "The Anthraquinone and Phytopharmaceuticals". Stuttgart : ", S. Karger, Basel, Switzerland,, in Medpharm Scietific Publishers. Pharmacology, 14 (Suppl. 1), 1. Wren R.C., (1988). "Potter’s New Cyclopedia of Kapoor; L.D. (1990). "Handbook of Ayurevic Botanical Drugs and Preparations" (revised, Madicinal Plants".Boca Raton. CRC Press. 104. Williamson, E.W. and Evans, FJ.) Saffron Leung; A.Y., (1980). “Encyclopedia of Common Walden: Daniel. Natural Ingredients Used in Food Drugs and

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