Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
CASSIA SPECIES
(CESaLPINIaCEaE, aPG = LEGUMINOSaE)
Many members of the genus
Cassia
are indigenous to Africa, and several more have been intro-
duced as ornamental plants. The major African species include
Cassia abbreviata, C. fistula,
and
C. sieberiana.
A recent revision of the genera
Cassia
and
Senna
has placed
C
.
alata, C. acutifolia,
C
.
angustifolia, and C. occidentalis
as belonging to the genus
Senna.
They are mostly small shrubs
with attractive flowers. They are used interchangeably with some
Senna
species.
CASSIA ACUTIFOLIA
Botanical Name —
Cassia acutifolia
Del.
Synonyms —
Cassia senna
L.,
C
.
lanceolata, C. lentiva
Brisch.
Family —
Leguminosae
African Names —
Arabic: sana, senamiki, sena; Hausa: illesko, rinji, filaskon maka; Peul:
falajin, sanjerehi; Swahili: msahala
Description —
It is a shrub or small tree up to 10 m tall and deciduous; young twigs are gla-
brous or hairy. Leaves are arranged spirally, paripinnately compound with 5-12 pairs of leaflets;
stipules are linear, about 1.5 mm long and caducous; leaflets are ovate-elliptical to oblong-elliptical,
3-6 × 1-3 cm, with the base rounded to obtuse and apex obtuse to subacute. Inflorescence is a
terminal, lax raceme, 0.5-9 cm long, and many flowered; bracts are persistent during flowering.
Flowers are bisexual, slightly zygomorphic, 5-merous, and fragrant; sepals are obtuse; petals are
oblanceolate to obovate, 15-35 × 7-18 mm, and yellow; stamens are 10, 3 with filaments about 3 cm
long, 4 with shorter ones, and 3 with rudimentary ones; the ovary is superior, stipitate, with the style
very short and stigma small. Fruit is a pendulous cylindrical pod 30-90 × 1.5-2.5 cm, transversely
partitioned, dehiscent by 2 valves, woody, black, and many seeded with seeds embedded in pulp.
Seeds are ellipsoid, 9-12 mm long, and brown to black.
1140
Habitat and Distribution —
Cassia abbreviata
is indigenous from Gabon east to Somalia and
throughout southern Africa to South Africa. It has been introduced into Mauritius. The plant occurs
in secondary forests and savannas.
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
The plant is employed as a general tonic and laxative and mixed
with other herbs for the treatment of various diseases. The leaves are smoked as a treatment for
hematuria, whereas the smoke of smoldering twigs is inhaled to cure headache. A root infusion is
kept in the mouth or roots are chewed and swallowed to relieve toothache. A root decoction or the
dried powdered roots in water are drunk to treat gastrointestinal disorders, stomachache, bilharzia,
venereal diseases, pneumonia, uterus complaints, heavy menstruation, and snakebites and used as
a purgative, stomachic, aphrodisiac, abortifacient, and vermifuge. Malaria (including blackwater
fever) is also treated with extracts from the roots. A water extract of the roots is used as an eyewash
to cure eye inflammation. The powdered stem bark is applied to abscesses and added to food to cure
diarrhea. A decoction of the stem bark is used as a purgative and to cure malaria and diarrhea. The
seed is used as a tonic.
1140,1147
Constituents —
The major constituents of
Cassia
species are anthrones and anthraquinones,
amino acids, and proteins. The pods yield 2-5% anthraquinone glycosides, known as sennosides.
They also contain kaempferol, chrysophanol, isorhamnetin, rhein, sennacrol, and cathartic acid.
The leaves contain free anthraquinones, and the seeds do not contain anthraquinones. Triterpenes
and organic acids have also been isolated from the leaves.
Pharmacological Studies —
The fruits, leaves, and extracts of these parts of the plant, as well
as the purified sennosides, are used in clinical medicine as a laxative, in various dosage forms. In
laboratory studies, the extracts of the roots and leaves showed remarkable
in vitro
antiplasmodial
