Senna occidentalis 望江南

Caesalpiniaceae 蘇木科

Coffee Senna1

野扁豆、羊角豆、假決明2,3

POISONOUS PARTS

Whole plant, especially the seeds.4,5

TOXICITY

CLINICAL MANAGEMENT

Supportive treatment.

IDENTIFICATION FEATURES

Erect subshrubs, 0.8–1.5 m tall; branches herbaceous, angled. Leaves about 20 cm long; with a large, brownish, conical gland near the base of petiole; leaflets 4–5 pairs, membranous, 4–9 × 2–3.5 cm. Corymbose racemes. Petals 5, yellow, 1.5–2 × 0.9–1.5 cm. Pods 10–13 × 0.8–0.9 cm, 30–40-seeded.9

MEDICINAL USES

Uses in TCM—branches and leaves: regulate the lung, clear the liver, induce diuresis, relieve constipation, harmonise the stomach function, disperse swelling and remove toxin; seeds: clear the liver and improve vision, invigorate the stomach, relieve constipation, remove toxin. Recommended dose: branches and leaves 6–9 g, seeds 6–9 g.2,10,11

LABORATORY ANALYSIS

Anthraquinones can be detected by HPLC-DAD, GC-MS and LC-MS/MS.12–14