Senna

Caution🐾

Alexandriner Senna · (Senna alexandrina)

Legume family (Fabaceae (Caesalpinioideae))

Description

Alexandrian senna (Senna alexandrina, syn. Cassia senna, Cassia angustifolia, Cassia acutifolia) is a deciduous subshrub or shrub of 0.5 to 3 metres in the legume family. The plant is native to north-eastern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and India, and is cultivated mainly in the upper Nile region and in southern India (Tinnevelly). The medicinal parts are the dried leaflets (senna leaf, Sennae folium) and the flat, brown pods (senna pods, Sennae fructus). Both drugs contain sennosides (dianthrone glycosides, chiefly sennoside A and B), which act as a stimulant laxative on the large intestine.

CONTRAINDICATED for children

Do not use in children under 12 years of age.

Critical drug interactions with:

Herzglykoside (z. B. Digoxin)

TeaLeafInternalEMA well-established
Short-term occasional constipation
Preparation & dosage
Pour 150 ml of hot water over 0.5 to 2 g of cut, dried senna leaves, steep 10 minutes, then strain. Take once daily, preferably in the evening. The dose is standardised to 15 to 30 mg hydroxyanthracene derivatives (calculated as sennoside B) per day; always use the lowest dose that produces a soft formed stool. The effect appears only after 8 to 12 hours, hence the evening dose. Do not use for longer than one to two weeks without medical advice.
Dry amount
0.5–2 g
Doses per day
1×
Max duration
1 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 12 years — Only for adults and adolescents over 12 years of age.
[#ema_folium_summary] [#ema_folium_monograph] [#wikipedia_de]
TeaFruitInternalEMA well-established
Short-term occasional constipation
Preparation & dosage
An infusion of cut, dried senna pods is dosed to deliver 15 to 30 mg hydroxyanthracene derivatives (calculated as sennoside B) per day. Take once daily in the evening, always at the lowest effective dose. The effect sets in after 8 to 12 hours. Short term only, maximum one to two weeks. Standardised commercial products are more reliably dosed than home-made pod tea.
Dry amount
1–2 g
Doses per day
1×
Max duration
1 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 12 years — Only for adults and adolescents over 12 years of age.
[#ema_fructus_summary] [#ema_fructus_monograph] [#wikipedia_de]
TeaFruitInternalEMA well-established
Bowel cleansing before medical procedures
Preparation & dosage
For bowel cleansing before diagnostic procedures or surgery, senna pods are used as a single dose, dosed to 15 to 30 mg hydroxyanthracene derivatives (as sennoside B). Use only on medical advice and not for continuous use. Ensure adequate fluid intake.
Doses per day
1×
Max duration
1 weeks
⚠ Age restriction: ≥ 12 years — Only for adults and adolescents over 12 years of age.
[#ema_fructus_summary] [#ema_fructus_monograph]

🤝 Permaculture Partners

In your garden, this plant acts as:

Nitrogen Fixer Pollinator Magnet Medicinal