Compendium of the most significant studies with reference to properties, intake, effects.

Ahmed SI, Hayat MQ, Tahir M, Mansoor Q, Ismail M, Keck K, Bates RB. Pharmacologically active flavonoids from the anticancer, antioxidant and antimicrobial extracts of Cassia angustifolia Vahl. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2016 Nov 11;16(1):460. doi: 10.1186/s12906-016-1443-z. 

Meier N, Meier B, Peter S, Wolfram E. In-Silico UHPLC Method Optimization for Aglycones in the Herbal Laxatives Aloe barbadensis Mill., Cassia angustifolia Vahl Pods, Rhamnus frangula L. Bark, Rhamnus purshianus DC. Bark, and Rheum palmatum L. Roots. Molecules. 2017 Oct 27;22(11):1838. doi: 10.3390/molecules22111838.

Bellassoued K, Hamed H, Ghrab F, Kallel R, Van Pelt J, Makni Ayadi F, Elfeki A. Antioxidant and hepatopreventive effects of Cassia angustifolia extract against carbon tetrachloride-induced hepatotoxicity in rats. Arch Physiol Biochem. 2019 Aug 9:1-11. doi: 10.1080/13813455.2019.1650778.

Sharanya CS, Arun KG, Sabu A, Haridas M. Aloe emodin shows high affinity to active site and low affinity to two other sites to result consummately reduced inhibition of lipoxygenase. Prostaglandins Other Lipid Mediat. 2020 Oct;150:106453. doi: 10.1016/j.prostaglandins.2020.106453.

Rubio C, Paz S, Tius E, Hardisson A, Gutierrez AJ, Gonzalez-Weller D, Caballero JM, Revert C. Metal Contents in the Most Widely Consumed Commercial Preparations of Four Different Medicinal Plants (Aloe, Senna, Ginseng, and Ginkgo) from Europe. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2018 Dec;186(2):562-567. doi: 10.1007/s12011-018-1329-7.

Khorasanynejad R, Norouzi A, Roshandel G, Besharat S. Bowel Preparation for a Better Colonoscopy Using Polyethylene Glycol or C-lax: A Double Blind Randomized Clinical Trial. Middle East J Dig Dis. 2017 Oct;9(4):212-217. doi: 10.15171/mejdd.2017.76.

Sun H, Luo G, Chen D, Xiang Z. A Comprehensive and System Review for the Pharmacological Mechanism of Action of Rhein, an Active Anthraquinone Ingredient. Front Pharmacol. 2016 Aug 17;7:247. doi: 10.3389/fphar.2016.00247.

Rajput G, Pandey IP, Joshi G. Carboxymethylation of Cassia angustifolia seed gum: synthesis and rheological study. Carbohydr Polym. 2015 Mar 6;117:494-500. doi: 10.1016/j.carbpol.2014.09.063.

Bukhari NA, Siddique I, Perveen K, Siddiqui I, Alwahibi MS. Synthetic seed production and physio-biochemical studies in Cassia angustifolia Vahl. - a medicinal plant. Acta Biol Hung. 2014 Sep;65(3):355-67. doi: 10.1556/ABiol.65.2014.3.11. 

Vitalone A, Di Giacomo S, Di Sotto A, Franchitto A, Mammola CL, Mariani P, Mastrangelo S, Mazzanti G. Cassia angustifolia extract is not hepatotoxic in an in vitro and in vivo study. Pharmacology. 2011;88(5-6):252-9. doi: 10.1159/000331858. Epub 2011 Oct 13.

Khan NA, Srivastava A. Antifungal activity of bioactive triterpenoid saponin from the seeds of Cassia angustifolia. Nat Prod Res. 2009;23(12):1128-33. doi: 10.1080/14786410802625279. 

Senna (Cassia angustifolia, Vahl) is a medicinal plant which reaches the height of 5 meters and more, belonging to the Caesalpiniaceae family and is from India, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Pakistan. Very similar to Senna is Senna alexandrina, a smaller Vahl which reaches 2 meters of height. Both flower with yellow flowers.

Senna is used for both its antibacterial and laxative properties. 

The mechanism by which Senna acts as a laxative concerns the selective action on the nervous plexus of the intestinal smooth muscle which increases intestinal motility (1)

It is also used to treat skin diseases, helminthic and parasitic infections (2).

The seeds are soft, dicotyledonous and contain about 50% endosperm.

Worldwide, a major cause of morbidity and mortality is diabetes mellitus. This study provides evidence that extracts of radish (Raphanus sativus Linn) and Cassia angustifolia (Vahl.) improve metabolic abnormalities associated with diabetes and may delay the risk of complications due to chronic hyperglycemia. The beneficial effects of both extracts in diabetes seem to be attributed to the synergistic effects of its bioactive compounds such as flavonoids, saponins, and glycosides (3).

This study revealed extensive anthelmintic activity of both Cassia angustifolia and Cassia alata and Cassia occidentalis (4).

Senna Cassia angustifolia studies

Safety

Care should be taken not to ingest significant amounts of this plant as long-term use of Senna can lead to laxative dependence and liver damage (1)

Bibliografia_______________________________________________________________

(1) Haoudar A, Chekhlabi N, El Kettani C, Dini N. Acute Hepatitis and Pancytopenia in a Child With Chronic Abuse of Senna. Cureus. 2021 Jan 2;13(1):e12436. doi: 10.7759/cureus.12436.

(2) Boonhok R, Sangkanu S, Norouzi R, Siyadatpanah A, Mirzaei F, Mitsuwan W, Charong N, Wisessombat S, Pereira ML, Rahmatullah M, Wilairatana P, Wiart C, Tabo HA, Dolma KG, Nissapatorn V. Amoebicidal activity of Cassia angustifolia extract and its effect on Acanthamoeba triangularis autophagy-related gene expression at the transcriptional level. Parasitology. 2021 May 10:1-9. doi: 10.1017/S0031182021000718.

(3) Jani DK, Goswami S. Antidiabetic activity of Cassia angustifolia Vahl. and Raphanus sativus Linn. leaf extracts. J Tradit Complement Med. 2019 Mar 6;10(2):124-131. doi: 10.1016/j.jtcme.2019.03.002.

(4) Kundu S, Roy S, Lyndem LM. Broad spectrum anthelmintic potential of Cassia plants. Asian Pac J Trop Biomed. 2014 May;4(Suppl 1):S436-41. doi: 10.12980/APJTB.4.2014C1252.