Senna
Senna alexandrina Mill.Fabaceae // leaf · fruit
Overview
Plant parts
leaf, fruit
Known constituents
sennosides
Research corpus coverage
Chemistry notes
- CHEMISTRY: Relevant reported constituents include sennosides; constituent presence alone does not establish clinical efficacy.
Uses & Evidence
Traditional / historical use
Documented traditional use — not a claim of established efficacy.
TRADITIONAL: Senna has been used for short-term constipation; this records historical/traditional use and does not establish efficacy.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Modern evidence
EVIDENCE: For the major use set (short-term constipation), the evidence assessment is well-supported: Well-supported as a stimulant laxative for short-term constipation; not for “detox” or weight loss.
HIGH · regulatory monograph and mixed scientific literature · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Preparation
Forms used traditionally
A listed form does not imply it suits every plant part, or that one preparation is interchangeable with another — see the plant’s own notes below.
PREPARATION: The medicinal material is leaf; fruit; traditional and modern forms include infusion/tea, tincture, powder/capsule, extract. No dose or potency is specified.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Preparation-specific evidence should not be generalized across extracts, teas, oils, or whole herb.
Safety
Additional safety notes (general, unstructured)
Free-text safety notes carried from their source — not broken out by species, route, or hazard type, and not equivalent to the structured records above. Each note names the kind of source it came from.
SAFETY: Major issues include Cramping, diarrhea, electrolyte disturbance; misuse can cause cathartic colon and liver injury. Contraindications/cautions include Bowel obstruction; severe dehydration.
HIGH · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
SAFETY: Clinically relevant interaction concerns include Potassium loss can increase digoxin/antiarrhythmic risk and interact with diuretics/corticosteroids.
MODERATE · observational/case series and expert review · LiverTox: Herbal and Dietary Supplements
Some interactions are theoretical or based on case reports/pharmacokinetics rather than outcome trials.
SAFETY: Pregnancy/lactation reference: Pregnancy/lactation use has specific monograph conditions; prolonged use should be avoided.
MODERATE · regulatory monograph or evidence synthesis · EMA European Union herbal monographs and list entries
Absence of evidence is not evidence of safety.
Preparation × species risk matrix
Unknown means insufficient evidence was located — not that a form is safe.
Cats
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Dogs
- tinctureCaution
- concentrated extractUnknown
- essential oilUnknown
- glyceriteUnknown
- infused oilUnknown
- salveUnknown
- smoke/combustionUnknown
- tea/infusionUnknown
- whole herbUnknown
Identity
- Synonym
GBIF resolves Cassia senna L. as a synonym of Senna alexandrina. The older name still appears in herbal and taxonomic literature.
HIGH · GBIF Species Match API
Botanical synonym
Cassia angustifolia Vahl, Cassia senna L.
Taxonomic identity note
- Senna is treated here as Senna alexandrina Mill. in the family Fabaceae; recorded older names include Cassia angustifolia Vahl; Cassia senna L..
Sources
Research records are source-linked but may not yet be editorially reviewed.
EMA monograph
NIH LiverTox monograph
- Plants of the World Online1 claim
botanical taxonomy database
WHO monograph
- GBIF Species Match API1 claim
authoritative taxonomic database