Senna Pods

Botanical Name :	Cassia Angustifolia
English Name :	Senna Pods
Hindi Name :	Senai

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Known as

Senna alexandrina, Senna cassia, Alexandrian Senna, Khartoum Senna and Tinnevelly Senna.

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Introduction

Senna, a small, scrubby plant that grows has been used for centuries as a natural laxative. extracts of the leaves and pods are used by pharmaceutical manufacturers .

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Constituents

Rhein-dianthrone diglycosides, dianthrone diglycosides, monoanthraquinone glycosides and aglyca, hydroxyanthracene glycosides, calculated as sennosides B (Mr 863) Albumen, mucilage, starch, volatile oil, resin, salts of potassium and calcium, and a principle resembling cathartin.

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Parts Used

Seed pods.

The HMPC concluded that senna pod preparations can be used short term for occasional constipation and for bowel cleansing before medical procedures needing bowel emptying (such as bowel radiology or colonoscopy).

Senna pod medicines should only be used in adults and adolescents over the age of 12 years.

Senna pod medicinal herbs that contain anthraquinones.

These stimulate bowel movements, encouraging the bowels to empty.

They also alter the absorption of water and salt from the bowels.

This increases the amount of water in the material in the gut and so softens it and allows it to pass along the gut more easily.

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Typical Preparations

As a tea, in capsules, within herbal preparations and sometimes in esoteric food dishes.