Botanical Name
Senna alexandrina Mill.
Family
Leguminosae.
Synonyms
Cassia angustifolia M.Vahl, Cassia angustifolia Vahl, Cassia alexandrina (Garsault) Thell., Cassia acutifolia Delile, Cassia senna L., Senna alexandrina Garsault, Senna acutifolia (Delile) Batka, Senna angustifolia (Vahl) Batka.
Regional Name
English : Indian Senna. Tinnevelly Senna, Hindi :Sanaya, Hindisana, Sanskrit :Madani, Urdu :Sena, Barg-e-Sana, Assamese :Sonamukhi, Bengali :Svamamukhi,Sonapata, Gujrati :Mindhiaval, Sonamukhi, Kannada :Nelavarika, Sonamukhi, Nelaavare, Nelavarike, NelaAanriake, Kashmiri :Sna, Malayalam :Sunnamukhi, Nilavaka, Chinnukki, Adapatiyan, Marathi :Sonamukhi, Oriya :Sunamukhi, Punjabi :Sannamakhi, Sanapati, Sarnapatta, Tamil :Nilapponnai, Avarai, Telugu :Sunamukhi.
Description
It is a small shrub, 60-75 cm high, found throughout the year, cultivated largely in Southern India, especially in districts of Tinnevelly, Madurai and Tiruchinapally and has also been introduced in Mysore. Leaflets, 2.5-6 cm long and 7-15 mm wide at centre, pale yellowish-green, both surfaces smooth with sparse trichomes, odour, faint but distinctive, taste mucilaginous and disagreeable but not distinctly bitter. Fully grown, thick bluish color leaves stripped off by hand, collected and dried in shade for 7-10 days, till assuming a yellowish-green color, graded and then packed into large bales.
Part Used
Leaf.
Phytoconstituents
It contains Anthraquinone glucoside, Sennosides A and B based on the aglyconessennidin A and B, Sennosides C and D which are glycosides of heterodianthrones of aloe-emodin and rhein. Other chemical constituents are palmidin A, rheinanthrone and aloe-emodin glycosides. Miscellaneous chemical constituents mucilage, flavonoids, steroids, resins, volatile oil and sugars etc
Ayurvedic Properties
Rasa: Katu, Tikta, Kasaya, Guna: Laghu, Ruksa, Tiksna, Virya: Usna, Vipaka: Katu, Karma: Recana.
Ayurvedic Applications
Udararoga, Vibandha
Medicinal Uses
It is used for the treatment of abdominal worm infestation, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, constipation, abdominal distention, Hepatomegaly, Splenomegaly, nausea, excessive salivation, increased thirst and Jaundice.