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Is Senna Laxative Use Associated to Cathartic Colon, Genotoxicity, or Carcinogenicity?
Joint Authors
Rojas, A.
Bustamante, S.
Hernández, D.
Bachiller, I.
Morales, M. A.
Source
Issue
Vol. 2009, Issue 2009 (31 Dec. 2009), pp.1-8, 8 p.
Publisher
Hindawi Publishing Corporation
Publication Date
2009-09-10
Country of Publication
Egypt
No. of Pages
8
Main Subjects
Pharmacy, Health & Medical Sciences
Medicine
Abstract EN
Due to their natural origin, apparent low oral toxicity, effectiveness, and accessibility without a medical prescription, the anthranoid laxatives are a popular remedy for constipation and are frequently used abusively.
Therefore, it is important to characterize its harmful and/or toxic effects.
The sennosides, main active metabolites of senna, exhibit a very low toxicity in rats, and its genotoxic activity in bacterial strains as well as mammal cells was classified as weak in those cases where it was shown to be significant.
The toxicological and mutagenic status of the crude extract of senna, however, is not as well characterized, and it is necessary to do so since it is frequently, and at the same time incorrectly, believed that the chronic use of anthranoid laxatives is a risk factor for the development of colorectal cancer.
The objective of this article was to review the information that arises in various scientific medical databases using key words such as senna, sen, Senna alexandrina, Cassia angustifolia, sennosides, laxative toxicity, mainly ISI and non-ISI articles of journals with an editorial committee.
Web pages of products or companies that publicize or commercialize this type of laxative were not included.
This analysis establishes that (1) there is no convincing evidence that the chronic use of senna has, as a consequence, a structural and/or functional alteration of the enteric nerves or the smooth intestinal muscle, (2) there is no relation between long-term administration of a senna extract and the appearance of gastrointestinal tumors or any other type in rats, (3) senna is not carcinogenic in rats even after a two-year daily dose of up to 300 mg/kg/day, and (4) the current evidence does not show that there is a genotoxic risk for patients who take laxatives containing senna extracts or sennosides.
American Psychological Association (APA)
Morales, M. A.& Hernández, D.& Bustamante, S.& Bachiller, I.& Rojas, A.. 2009. Is Senna Laxative Use Associated to Cathartic Colon, Genotoxicity, or Carcinogenicity?. Journal of Toxicology،Vol. 2009, no. 2009, pp.1-8.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-460548
Modern Language Association (MLA)
Morales, M. A.…[et al.]. Is Senna Laxative Use Associated to Cathartic Colon, Genotoxicity, or Carcinogenicity?. Journal of Toxicology No. 2009 (2009), pp.1-8.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-460548
American Medical Association (AMA)
Morales, M. A.& Hernández, D.& Bustamante, S.& Bachiller, I.& Rojas, A.. Is Senna Laxative Use Associated to Cathartic Colon, Genotoxicity, or Carcinogenicity?. Journal of Toxicology. 2009. Vol. 2009, no. 2009, pp.1-8.
https://search.emarefa.net/detail/BIM-460548
Data Type
Journal Articles
Language
English
Notes
Includes bibliographical references
Record ID
BIM-460548