• Senna leaves and pods the use for constipation introduced by Arabian physician

• The two varieties of Senna are the Cassia acutifolia (Alexandrian Senna) Cassia angustifolia (Tinnevelly senna)

• Family Leguminosae

• The drug contains important phytoconstituents sennoside responsible for their purgative activity.

• It contains more than 2.0% of anthracene derivatives calculated as calcium sennoside

There are four methods for industrial production of sennoside:

Method 1

1. The leaves are dried, powdered, and extracted with benzene for 2 hours on an electronic shaker.

2. The extract is filtered and the solvent is distilled off.

3. The resultant mark is dried, extracted with 70% methanol for 4 -6 hours, and separated by filtration.

4. The extraction process is repeated using 70% methanol for 2 hours, and the extract is filtered again.

5. The metabolic extracts are combined and concentrated till 1/8th of its original volume remains.

6. The resultant concentrate is acidified with hydrochloric acid to obtain pH 3.2.

7. The extract is filtered and alcoholic anhydrous calcium chloride is added with continuous stirring.

8. Ammonia is added to maintain the pH at 8, and then the mixture is left undisturbed for 2 hours.

9. The solution is filtered and the calcium sennoside precipitate is collected.

10. The precipitate is dried over phosphorous pentaoxide.

11. The percentage yield of calcium sennoside is calculated.

Method 2

1. The leaves of senna are dried, powdered , and extracted with chloroform methanol (93:7) mixture for 30 minutes.

2. The obtained extract is filtered.

3. The resultant mark is again extracted using acidic methanol.

4. Both the extracts are combined and concentrated.

5. The resultant mixture is left undisturbed at room temperature for 12 hours.

6. The precipitate of sennoside A obtained is recrystallised using triethylamine.

7. The sennoside B present in the solution is precipitated b y 10% methanolic calcium chloride solution.

8. The precipitate of sennoside B is purified using a mixture of ammonia - methanol (40:60).

9. The obtained precipitate is dried, washed with water, kept for a day, and recrystallised with glyco mono ethyl ether

Production of Sennoside:

Method A:

1. The dried senna leaves extracted with 70 percent methanol.

2. Shake the drug with methanol for around 4 hours at room temperature

3. Filter the extract and reduce the volume to 1/8 under vacuum.

4. The extract is acidified to pH 3 with the help of Hydrochloric acid.

5. After acidification filtration is done and removes any soluble aglycone with chloroform.

6. The filtrate is neutralized with liquid ammonia and then centrifuge to isolate the sennoside.

Method B:

1. The extraction of the crude drug was performed with the help of benzene for two to three hours with frequent shaking at room temperature.

2. Dry the residue (marc) left after the extraction with benzene at oven or room temperature which should be not exceeded to 40°C.

3. The dry drug or marc should be extracted with 70 percent methanol for 4-6 hour on shaker at room temperature

4. Repeat the same process with fresh methanol for 2 hours.

5. Club both the methanol extract and concentrate to 1/8 volume under reduced pressure

6. The pH is adjusted to 3 with hydrochloric acid and kept on the side for 3 hours afterwards filter it.

7. Anhydrous calcium chloride dissolves in denatured spirit and added to the filtrate with vigorous shaking.

8. Maintain the pH 8 of the solution by ammonia solution and kept aside for two hours

9. Filter the solution and dry the precipitate over dessicant like phosphorus pentaoxide in a desiccator