SEENA - Complete Notes

Here are comprehensive notes from your slides, with the Alexandrian vs Indian Senna difference clearly highlighted throughout.

1. BASIC IDENTIFICATION

Parameters	Alexandrian Senna	Indian Senna
Synonyms	Folia sennae Alexandrina, Cassia senna, Egyptian senna	Senna leaf, Sennae folium, Sena-ki-Patti, Tinneveley senna, Cassia senna
Biological Source	Dried leaflets of Cassia acutifolia Delile	Dried leaflets of Cassia angustifolia or Cassia senna Vahl
Family	Leguminosae	Leguminosae
Geographical Source	Middle and upper Nile territories, tropical Africa, specially Sudan	Cultivated in India - mainly Tinneveley, Madurai, Ramannathapuram (Tamil Nadu), Cudappa (Andhra Pradesh), Kutch (Gujarat), Rajasthan

Senna is a shrub ~1 meter in height
Propagated by sowing seeds - broadcasting method
Seeds are abraded (scarped) by pounding with sand in mortar pestle before sowing to improve germination
Seed requirement: 15-25 kg per hectare
Soil: Red and loamy, pH 4.5-7.5
Climate: Dry environment
Land is ploughed 2-3 times + harrowing + planking before sowing
Sowing season: February to March
Irrigation: 3-4 times (light irrigation preferred; heavy irrigation/waterlogging avoided)
Being a leguminous plant, nitrogenous fertilizers are still beneficial due to lack of root nodules

Senna is a multi-harvest crop
When lower plant height equals flowering stalk height, it is cut (to encourage vegetative/dense leaf growth)
Harvesting of leaves done in three stages, starting 2-3 months after sowing
1st plucking: when leaflets are thick, full-grown, greenish
2nd plucking: one month after 1st
3rd plucking: 4-6 weeks after 2nd
Bluish green-colored leaves and golden yellow-colored immature pods are collected (maximum sennoside content)

Step	Indian Senna	Alexandrian Senna
Drying	Dried under shade for 7-10 days in thin layers	Dried in the sun (weight decreases due to moisture loss)
Dried leaf color	Yellowish green	-
Processing	Tossed to separate pods; packed into bales with pressure	Coarse sieving to separate pods and large stalks; tossed on large shallow tray to separate entire and broken leaves; sifted; entire leaves handpicked and packed in mats or bales WITHOUT pressing
Special note	Pressing under hydraulic press causes transverse line on leaves	Transverse lines absent in Alexandrian leaves

25,000 hectares under senna cultivation in India
Produces ~22,500 tonnes of leaves and 7,500 tonnes of fruit per annum
1,200 kg of leaves and pods from 1 hectare irrigated land; 700 kg from rain-fed land
Drug potency is maintained for at least 5 years if protected from light

Leaf Type: Paripinnate, compound leaf Venation: Unicostate, pinnate, reticulate; veins anastomosing towards margin

Character	Indian Senna	Alexandrian Senna
General Appearance	Entire and less broken	Less entire and more broken
Shape	Lanceolate	Lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate
Length	2.5-6 cm	2-4 cm
Width	7-8 mm	7-12 mm
Apex	Less acute with sharp spine	More acute with sharp spine (Mucronate)
Base	Less asymmetrical	More asymmetrical
Margin	Entire	Entire, Curled
Surface	Less pubescent	More pubescent
Texture	Firm, flexible	Thin, brittle, papery
Colour	Pale yellowish green	Pale greyish green
Odour	Faint	Faint
Taste	Bitter mucilaginous	Bitter mucilaginous

Upper Epidermis: Single layered, polygonal, straight, anticlerical walls; few cells contain mucilage; covered with cuticle
Mesophyll:
- Upper palisade: Single layered, elongated, compactly arranged, narrow, thin-walled parenchyma; continues over midrib region
- Spongy parenchyma: Thin-walled, loosely arranged, large intracellular spaces; Spheraphides present
- Lower palisade: Only in lamina, loosely arranged, wavy walls; cells smaller than upper palisade
Lower Epidermis: Similar to upper epidermis
Trichomes: Conical, unicellular, thick-walled, covering trichome
Stomata: Paracytic type (Rubiaceous)

Palisade parenchyma: Single layer
Crystal sheath: Parenchymatous layer containing calcium oxalate prism - present at dorsal and ventral side
Sclerenchymatous sheath: Lignified, thick-walled cells; covers the vascular bundle
Vascular bundle:
- Xylem: Lignified cells - at ventral surface
- Phloem: Non-lignified cells - at dorsal surface
Collenchyma: Multilayered, thick-walled parenchyma with cellulose - only at ventral surface

Sennoside A and Sennoside B (not less than 2.5%) - two anthraquinone glycosides; stereoisomers; purgative property 40-60%
- Dimeric glycosides with Rhein dianthrones as aglycone
- Sennoside B aglycone is in meso form; Sennoside A is dextrorotatory
- Differ in the linkage of glucose to aglycone
- Sugar part: transporting function + protective action (prevents oxidation of aglycone)

Rhein and Emodin
Sennoside C and D
Rhein-8-glucoside
Aloe-emodin, 8-glucoside
Anthrone di-glucoside
Kaempferol, Isohamnetin
Phytosterol, Mucilage, Resin
Myricyl alcohol, Salicylic acid
Chrysophanic acid
Calcium oxalate
Two naphthalene glycosides: Tirunelveli glycoside and 6-hydroxy musizin glycoside

Bontrager's Test: Sample + dilute H₂SO₄ → filter → add benzene/ether/chloroform → shake → separate organic layer → add ammonia slowly → ammoniacal layer shows pink to red colour (confirms anthraquinone glycosides)

Purgative in perpetual constipation
Anthraquinone glycosides absorbed in intestinal tract → aglycone part separated → excreted in colon → irritates and stimulates colon → increased colonic movements
Increased peristalsis reduces water absorption → soft and bulky faeces
Gripping effect - due to resin/emodin content; counteracted by giving drug with carminatives
Drug given parenterally is secreted in colon for therapeutic action

Adulterant	Source	Identification
Dog senna	Cassia obovate	Obovate leaves with tapering apex; papillose cells in lower epidermis; only ~1% anthraquinone glycosides
Palthe	Cassia auriculata	No anthraquinone glycosides; long hair on leaflets; leaves boiled with chloral hydrate solution show crimson colour
Bombay/Mecca/Arabian senna	-	Brownish-green colour, more elongated and narrower leaves

Point	Alexandrian	Indian
Plant	Cassia acutifolia	Cassia angustifolia
Origin	Sudan/Africa/Nile	India (Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Rajasthan)
Synonym	Egyptian senna	Tinneveley senna
Leaf color	Pale greyish green	Pale yellowish green
Texture	Thin, brittle, papery	Firm, flexible
Transverse line	Absent	Present (due to pressing)
Surface	More pubescent	Less pubescent
Drying method	Sun-dried	Shade-dried (7-10 days)
Packing	Without pressing	With pressure (bales)
Vein-islet No.	25-29.5 (higher)	19.5-22.5 (lower)
Stomatal Index	11.4-13.3 (lower)	17-20 (higher)
Palisade Ratio	9.5/7.0 (higher)	7.5/5.1 (lower)

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