Senna didymobotrya
Senna didymobotrya, commonly known as Senna, is a versatile medicinal plant valued in traditional herbalism. Renowned primarily for its potent laxative properties, it contains natural anthraquinones that stimulate intestinal activity. Beyond digestive health, this plant serves as a vital botanical resource in various therapeutic formulations worldwide.
- Scientific name: Senna didymobotrya
- Family: Fabaceae
- Native range: Africa
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta within the class Equisetopsida. As a member of the subclass Magnoliidae and the order Fabales, it is further categorized into the family Fabaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic identification is placed within the genus Senna.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Fabales | WCVP |
| Family | Fabaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Senna | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Senna didymobotrya, is referred to by various common names depending on the language and region. In Kinyarwanda, it is called Umucyuro, while in Arabic (ar) and Egyptian Arabic (arz), it is identified as كاسيا ديديموبوتريا. In Chinese (zh), the plant is known as 长穗决明, and in Estonian (et), it is called mustpea-senna.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| rw | Umucyuro | Wikidata |
| ar | كاسيا ديديموبوتريا | Wikidata |
| arz | كاسيا ديديموبوتريا | Wikidata |
| zh | 长穗决明 | Wikidata |
| et | mustpea-senna | Wikidata |
| ja | フタホセンナ | Wikidata |
| rw | Cassia didymobotrya | Wikidata |
| fr | Cassia popcorn | Wikidata |
| az | Cassia didymobotrya | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution spanning across different regions of Africa and its surrounding islands. Within the Macaronesia region, it can be found specifically in the Canary Islands. Its presence extends into West Tropical Africa, where it inhabits territories such as Benin and Gambia. Furthermore, the species is documented in West-Central Tropical Africa. In this central region, its distribution includes the countries of Burundi and Rwanda.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Macaronesia | Canary Is. | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Benin | WCVP |
| West Tropical Africa | Gambia | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Burundi | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | Rwanda | WCVP |
| West-Central Tropical Africa | DR Congo | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Ethiopia | WCVP |
| Northeast Tropical Africa | Sudan-South Sudan | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Kenya | WCVP |
| East Tropical Africa | Tanzania | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Senna didymobotrya, possesses several components that are utilized in traditional medicine. The medicinal properties are primarily derived from its leaves, which are often used in various preparations. Additionally, therapeutic compounds can be found within the stem and root bark, as well as the roots themselves. For specific medicinal applications, practitioners may focus solely on the root bark or utilize a combination of the root and stem barks to achieve the desired effects.- Total parts
- 9
- Scientific sources
- 10
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| leaves | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| stem and root bark | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| roots | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root bark | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root and stem barks | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| leaves and pods | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| immature pods | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flowers | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Stem bark | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Senna didymobotrya has 6 reported phytochemicals identified across 8 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include tannins, terpenes, cardiac glycosides, flavonoids, saponins.
- Total chemicals
- 6
- Scientific sources
- 8
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| tannins | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| terpenes | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cardiac glycosides | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| flavonoids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| saponins | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| steroids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Senna didymobotrya has 10 reported medicinal uses identified across 10 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include C. parapsilosis, Candida glabrata, East coast fever, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae.
- Total uses
- 10
- Scientific sources
- 10
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| C. parapsilosis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Candida glabrata | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| East coast fever | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Escherichia coli | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Klebsiella pneumoniae | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Pseudomonas aeruginosa | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Staphylococcus aureus | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| anaplasmosis | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| bacterial infections | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |