SENNA PODS

Sennas act as purgatives having active ingredients anthraquinone derivatives and their glucosides. The latter are called sennosides or senna glycosides.

Senna acts on the lower bowel, and is especially useful in alleviating constipation. It increases the peristaltic movements of the colon. The plants are most often prepared as an infusion.

Senna includes herbs, shrubs, and trees. The leaves are pinnate with opposite paired leaflets. The inflorescences are racemes at the ends of branches or emerging from the leaf axils. The flower has five sepals and five usually yellow petals. There are ten straight stamens. The stamens may be different sizes, and some are staminodes. The fruit is a legume pod containing several seeds.

Senna is a herb that is generally used for its laxative properties. Senna formerly, plants in Cassia (genus) is also known as wild senna, cassia marilandica, or locust plant. It works by interacting with the bacteria in the digestive track, resulting in intestinal contractions. These contractions are caused by the anthraquinone that is contained in senna. These dimeric glycosides anthraquinone derivatives are known as Senna glycosides or sennosides. They are named after their abundant occurrence in these plants of the genus Senna. The main forms of these glycosides are often referred to by: A, B, C & D. Both leaves and pods of the senna plant are used for their laxative effects. The pods are less potent than the leaves.