Senna is a shrub that grows in India, Pakistan, southern China and many other places. Its name is derived from the Arabic word "sena" and has been used in ancient Indian and Greek medicine since the 9th century. The shrub can grow to about two feet in height, with green stems, pods and yellow spatulate-shaped leaves. Its alternate leaves are evergreen, having four to five pairs of lanceolate or obovate, fragile, grayish-green leaflets. The flowers are small and yellow, with five unequal petals with claws. The fruits are enclosed in rectangular pods that are about 5 inches long. The leaves and pods or fruits can be used for medicinal purposes.
As the most widely used laxative in the world, Senna Leaf is not only a commonly used traditional Chinese medicine recorded in China's Pharmacopoeia but also has a history of over a thousand years of application abroad. Senna Leaf is the dried leaflets of Cassia angustifolia Vahl. or Cassia acutifolia Lelile, which belong to the Leguminosae family. It tastes sweet, bitter and is cold in nature, and it is attributed to the Large Intestine Meridian. It has the effects of purging heat and relieving stagnation, facilitating defecation and promoting diuresis. In traditional Chinese medicine, it is used to treat heat accumulation and stagnation, constipation with abdominal pain, and edema with fullness. Modern pharmacological studies have shown that it has functions such as laxative, antiviral, antibacterial, hemostatic and antioxidant effects. Currently, it is clinically used for treating diseases of the digestive system and urinary system, as well as for cleaning the intestines before surgical operations and for the recovery of intestinal function after surgeries.
Pharmacological Effects of Senna Leaf Extract
Laxative effect:
Senna Leaf is generally regarded as a contact laxative. After direct contact with the intestinal mucosa, it can increase the permeability of the mucosa, enabling electrolytes and water to diffuse into the intestinal cavity. As a result, the amount of electrolytes in the intestinal cavity increases and the periodic peristalsis is enhanced, thus causing a laxative effect.
Antiviral effect:
The extract of Senna Leaf has an inactivating effect on viruses. Analysis of the active components shows that anthraquinone glycosides have no antiviral effect, while some anthraquinone aglycones among them possess antiviral properties. Among these, aloe-emodin has an inhibitory effect on a variety of viruses.
Antibacterial effect:
It can inhibit the growth of certain bacteria, although specific details about the bacteria it acts on and the mechanisms involved need further exploration.
Hemostatic effect:
It plays a role in stopping bleeding, but the exact pathways and related factors for this effect still require more in-depth research.
Free radical scavenging and intestinal cleansing:
When administered as a single dose, the maximum dose of anthraquinone glycosides should not exceed 150 mg. For intractable constipation, the maximum daily dose of anthraquinone glycosides should not exceed 30 mg. When taking Senna Leaf and its preparations within the effective dose range, they are characterized by being safe, effective and having few adverse reactions.
Application of Senna Leaf Extract
1.For weight-loss granules where higher color requirements after dissolution are needed.
2.For weight-loss granules where better taste requirements after dissolution are demanded.
3.For health care products aiming to relieve constipation, bad breath, hyperlipidemia and other conditions.
4.For capsules or granules of various weight-loss health care food products.
Senna leaf extract are now available for purchase at Xi’an Biof Bio-Technology Co., Ltd. For more information , visit https://www.biofingredients.com.
Contact Us:
Email: Winnie@xabiof.com
Tel/WhatsApp: +86-13488323315
Post time: Dec-18-2024
