Senna podocarpa (Guill. & Perr.) Lock
Senna podocarpa (Guill. & Perr.) Lock
Senna podocarpa (Guill. & Perr.) Lock
Senna podocarpa (Guill. & Perr.) Lock
| Botanical Name | Senna podocarpa (Guill. & Perr.) Lock |
| Order: | Fabales |
| Family: | Fabaceae |
| Genus: | Senna |
| Species: | S. podocarpa |
| Common Names: | Podocarpa leaf |
Plant Synonyms
Cassia podocarpa Guill. and Perr
Plant Local Names
Cote d'lvoire: Baule - Niaaka niabaka, Kru Guere - Siogelebe, Sioguele belebel Kweni
Gambia: Manding Mandinka – Kanayiro
Ghana: Akan - Sreso simpe, Ga - Nyonbele, Wasa - Nsuduru
Guinea: Basari - Mbokwe, Fula Puiaar - Yeleuk, Konyagi - Mpman
Guinea Bissau: Manding mandink - Adjam, Djam-Cafae, Pepel - Beuroque
Liberia: Mano - Ba La Bli
Nigeria: Igbo - Gaalu, Igbo (Agulu) - Ogaala, Yoruba - asunwon anago, peiebe.
Senegal: Balanta - Banban, Diola – Bunan Bunangabo, Fula - Bendiagkafara
Sierra-Leone: Kono - Wawa, Loko - Balaga, Temne- E-Ai-Ani
Plant Habitat
Occurs in Guinea savannah and in secondary clearings; sometimes cultivated in homes; also found in wastelands. The plant is distributed from Senegal to Nigeria but however restricted to the rain forest zones of Nigeria namely: Benin, lle- Ife, Olokemeji, Ibadan, Lagos and Nsukka. Not generally found in the Northern and Upper Eastern parts of Nigeria (Dalziel, 1936).
Plant Material of Interest
Fresh and dried leaflets, Root
Plant Description
Glabrous shrub, up to 5 m high, leaves pinnately compound, sometimes imparipinnate; petiole and rachis up to 30 cm long; 4-5 pairs of leaflets, elliptic with narrowed ends, 6-12 cm long, 3-6 cm broad; flowers, occurring between October and December, are light yellow; inflorescence with dense, erect, spike-like terminal raceme; fruits are pods, not winged, straight, flat, centrally attached, brownish-black when ripe, shiny, flat- beaked and slightly curved with transverse ridges^lO-12 cm long and about 1.5 cm wide, fruit pods indehiscent, fruiting between November and January; seeds, between 14-16 per pod, and dark-lprown to black in colour; smooth, hard and oblong, with a pointed edge (Irvine, 1961).
Plant Used Parts
Plant Uses
It is used in folklore as a purgative, labour inducer, anti-gonorrhea, guinea worm expellant, emmenagogue and ecbolic (Anton and Haag-Berriere, 1980).
Plant Therapeutic Action
Purgative, labour inducer, anti-gonorrhoeal, guinea worm expellant, emmenagogue
Plant Precaution for Use
Prolonged use may cause diarrhoea, abdominal colic, dehydration, muscular weakness, weight loss and damage to the myenteric plexus. Use beyond 2 weeks or in children under the age of 10 years requires medical supervision and as for Senna alexandrina.
Plant Adverse Effect
High doses may cause diarrhoea and lead to fluid and electrolyte loss and for Senna alexandrina.
Plant Contraindication
Contraindicated in pregnancy, nursing mothers and intestinal obstruction/stenosis, appendicitis and as for Senna alexandrina.
Plant Dosage Forms
Decoction, infusion, tincture Decoction
Plant Dosage
30 g dried leaflets in 900 ml water; simmer until reduced to 600 ml; 1-3 cups daily Infusion: 30 g dried leaves in 600 ml of water; 1- 3 cups daily
Tincture- 1:5 in 50% alcohol, 5 ml three times daily
Plant Storage
In well-closed bottles in cool, dry place protected from light and moisture.
Plant Chromatographic Fingerprint
Analytical TLC on silica gel G60 F254, 0.25 mm layer in petroleum ether (40-60 °C)/chloroform [2:8], detection in daylight, after spraying with anisaldehyde (0.5 ml) mixed with 10 ml glacial acetic acid, 85 ml methanol and 5 ml concentrated sulphuric acid and heated to 100- 110°C for 5-10 min.
Plant Constituents
Anthracene glycosides; O-and-C-anthraquinone glycosides; free anthraquinones (emodin).
Plant Pictures
Plant References
Adefemi, O. A., Elujoba, A. A. and Odesanmi, W. O. (1988). Evaluation of Cassia podocarpa with reference to Senna. West African Journal of Pharmacology and Drug Research 8 (1): 41-47.
Akomolafe, R.O., Adeoshun, I.O., Ayoka, A.O., Elujoba, A.A., Iwalewa, E.O. (2004). An in vitro study of the effects of Cassia podocarpa fruit on the intestinal motility of rats. Phytomedicine 11 (2- 3):249-254.
Anton, R., Haag-Berriere, M. (1980). The therapeutic uses of natural authraquinones other than laxative actions. Pharmacology suppliments 20:104-112.
Dalziel J.M. (1936). Useful Plants of West Tropical Africa London: Crown Agents for Overseas Governments and Administration.
[ WAHP
Elujoba, A.A., Ogunti, E. O. (1993). Pharmacopoeial and Biological standardization of Cassia alata and Cassia podocarpa with reference to Senna. Glimpses in Medicinal Plant Research xi: 469-479.
Elujoba A.A. et al., (1989). Chemical and Biological analyses of Nigerian Cassia species for laxative activity. Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis 7: 1453-1457.
Ghana Herbal Pharmacopoeia (1992). The Advent Press: Accra, Ghana.
Irvine, F.R. (1961). Woody Plants of Ghana with special reference to their uses London: Oxford University Press.
Larbi, S.O., Lewis, R.A. (1976). Biological assay of Cassia podocarpa: a plant related to senna. West African Journal of Pharmacol ogy and Drug Research 3(2): 149-52.
WWP