Coffee Senna

Scientific Name(s): Cassia occidentalis, Senna occidentalis
Common Name(s): Ant bush, Arsenic bush, Bana chakunda, Coffeeweed, Fedegoso, Mogdad coffee, Negro-coffee, Nigerian senna, Rubbish cassia, Senna coffee, Septicweed, Sickle pod, Stephanie coffee, Stinking pea, Stinking weed, Styptic weed

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Mar 22, 2022.

Clinical Overview

Use

Coffee senna has been used for its diuretic, laxative, blood purifier, antibacterial, and antifungal properties, as well as for treatment of hemorrhoids, gout, rheumatism, diabetes, whooping cough, convulsions, heart disease, snakebite, asthma, fever, and the flu. While clinical data support use of coffee senna as a laxative, limited clinical trials exist to support other uses.

Dosing

For laxative use, the recommended dosage for sennosides in adults and children 12 years of age and older is 8.6 to 17.2 mg orally twice daily; in children 6 to 11 years, the recommended sennoside dosage is 8.6 mg orally once daily at bedtime. It should be noted that various forms of senna are available, and dosing is not equivalent across the doseforms; dosing for sennosides is not equivalent to dosing with other forms of senna (eg, senna extract). Caution should be used and package labeling consulted to ensure correct product-specific dosing.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Avoid use. Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

Senna products are known to interact with digoxin, warfarin, and diuretics.

Adverse Reactions

There are no reported adverse reactions.

Toxicology

Consumption of C. occidentalis seeds has been shown to be toxic in children.

Scientific Family

• Fabaceae

Botany

Coffee senna is a pantropical plant. It grows in open woodlands, waste areas, and road sides and is considered an invasive species in many parts of the world. It grows best in warm and humid conditions. The low-growing perennial plant produces yellow flowers with dark brown fruit and seeds.Parsons 2001, Senna 2018

History

Coffee senna plant originated in the Americas but is now present in all tropical parts of the world. The plant has traditionally been used for a wide variety of illnesses in India, China, and Jamaica but is considered an invasive species in most parts of the world.Brenan 1967, Senna 2018, Teem 1980 All parts of the plants can be used but its common name comes from use of the seeds as a coffee substitute, despite the fact that the seeds contain no caffeine.Senna 2018

Chemistry

Coffee senna contains numerous chemical compounds concentrated in different parts of the plant. The flowers contain large amounts of emodin, physicion, and beta-glucopyranoside. The seeds contain numerous fatty acids (eg, linoleic and oleic acids) as well as phenolic and cyclic compounds (eg, islandicin, tannic acid). The leaves and roots also contain quinones such as bianthraquinone and chrysophanol.Cassia 2016

Coffee senna also contains high levels of iron and other vitamins and minerals.Manikandaselvi 2016

Uses and Pharmacology

Traditionally, coffee senna has been used as a diuretic, laxative, and blood purifier. It has also been used for treatment of hemorrhoids, rheumatism, gout, type 2 diabetes, whooping cough, convulsions, heart disease, snakebite, asthma, and the flu.Duke 2002