Cassia Senna vs Coffee Senna

Annual of tropical Americas and pantropical weed; seeds used as laxative and coffee substitute; leaves used widely in traditional medicine.

Pantropical weed used as traditional medicine across Africa, Asia and the Americas; roasted seeds used as coffee substitute.

anthraquinones, sennosides, emodin, chrysophanol, flavonoids

anthraquinones, chrysarobin, flavonoids, oxymethylanthraquinone

Laxative across tropics, Liver conditions in Asian and African medicine, Eye conditions in West African folk medicine, Roasted seeds as coffee substitute

Laxative and liver conditions across tropics, Roasted seeds as coffee substitute, Skin conditions in African medicine, Used across West Africa, India and Americas

Stimulant laxative, Antimicrobial, Research into liver conditions, Antioxidant

Laxative, Antimicrobial, Antifungal, Hepatoprotective research

1–2 g leaves as laxative tea; 2–4 roasted seeds as coffee substitute

2–3 g leaves as tea; roasted seeds as coffee

Pregnancy, Inflammatory bowel disease, Children under 12 for laxative, Prolonged use

Pregnancy, Children (anthraquinone toxicity), Prolonged use, Kidney disease

Laxative cramping, Electrolyte depletion