SENA

sen cassia angustifolia

SENA
sen cassia angustifolia

Other Names:

Casia, Sena.

The sen, introduced in Europe in the eleventh century by the Arabs, was one of the most popular laxative. It will drastically bled madmen, with little success that was expected. And so, by dint of copious diarrhea and bleeding, the doctors of yesteryear were exercising their art. Currently, the sin is one of the most widely used medicinal plants, but not to "purge bad moods, " but as a laxative effective and safe.

Habitat: original Arabia, Somalia and other countries bordering the Red Sea. Widely grown in southern India.

Description: subshrub or shrub of the family of pulses, 0. 5 to 1 meter in height. Its leaves are compound formed by 5 to 8 pairs of leaflets.

oval. The flowers are yellow, and the fruit is a flattened legume that contains between 6 and 8 seeds.

Used parts: the leaflets (leaves) and seeds.

Properties and indications: the leaves and seeds from the contain sen 2% - 3% of Anthraquinone glycosides, senósidos ones known as A and B; also hold mucilages and flavonoids, which are collaborating to their laxative action, and a resin - action irritate you which can cause nausea and vomiting at high doses. The senósidos ones are inactive in their natural state. Passed without alteration by the stomach, and are partially absorbed in the small intestine to be removed after the bile. When you reach the colon, are chemically processed by the action of some enzymes produced by intestinal bacteria (glucosidase) which releases the Genina (aglicón) the active molecule sennoside. The chemical reaction that occurs is as follows: sennoside (glucoside) = Genina enzyme (active) sugar. Derivatives assets of senósidos ones exert their laxative action by two mechanisms:

Stimulate motility of the large intestine, increasing the peristaltic movements. Further increases, though with less intensity, the muscle tone of the urinary tract and uterus.

They reduce the permeability of the intestinal mucosa, so that hinder the normal water absorption that occurs in the large intestine.

Depending on the dose, the meaning has two purposes:

Laxative: facilitates the issuance of loose stools, without colic.

Purgative: It causes the evacuation of liquid diarrheal stools, accompanied by retortijones (colic)

The purgative or laxative effect can be seen from the 6 or 7 hours of being taken, it can last for a day or two, and is not followed by constipation reagent.

Its use is recommended in cases of constipation caused by travel, change feeding, postpartum and surgical interventions. It is useful to prevent efforts during defecation in patients with hypertension or angina pectoris.

Use: the powder of crushed senna leaflets, is used in doses of 1 to 8 grams, taken in infusion at night; normally enough with 2 or 3 grams for a laxative effect. Children can have enough with half this dose. We do not recommend taking it for more than 7 days. To avoid irritating the effect of resin, which in high doses can cause nausea and vomiting, it is recommended to take leaves during 24 - 48 hours in alcoholic maceration. After this time, discarding the alcohol and prepares the infusion with the leaves. Recently, the pharmaceutical industry has made available the purified senósidos ones, which are presented in various pharmaceutical preparations. They are completely free from the irritating effects of the resin, so it is particularly suitable for children and the elderly.

For external use, with 20 - 30 grams of sin in one liter of water, is preparing an infusion that is administered in the form of an enema (Enema) The effect is immediate.

Precautions: by its stimulating action on the abdominal organs hollow fibers coated with smooth muscle (especially bladder and uterus) should not be used during pregnancy or during menstruation or in case of cystitis or colitis. In anorectal disorders (fissures, hemorrhoids, etc. Should be used with caution and low doses.

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