Side effects include abdominal cramps and electrolyte imbalance. The typical dose is 15 to 30 mg of sennosides twice a day, but is recommended for short term use only (less than one week). Senna is used in many over-the-counter laxatives in combination with other agents under trade names such as Ex-lax, Fletcher’s Castoria and Senokot. Sennosides and their metabolites may also enhance intestinal fluid accumulation and increase the moisture content of stool by inhibiting electrolyte and water reabsorption and increasing chloride secretion from the colon. The sennosides are not absorbed but are hydrolyzed by colonic bacteria releasing the active moieties, rhein and rhein-anthrone which appear to act as local irritants on the colon, promoting peristalsis and evacuation. The active components in senna extracts are anthraquinone derivatives and their glucosides, referred to as senna glycosides or sennosides. Senna is also included in several herbal teas, used for purging and in weight loss. Extracts of the leaves, flowers and fruit of senna have been used for centuries in folk medicine as a laxative and stimulant.

angustifolio (Indian or Tinnevelly senna).

Senna (sen’ a) belongs to a large genus of flowering plants found throughout the tropics, commonly used species being Cassia acutifolia (Alexandrian senna) and C.

Senna smooth move tea