Senna is a genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae, containing around 250 species distributed throughout the (sub)tropics, mostly from Africa but also from Asia and the Americas.
Senna has been used as a traditional medicine for centuries, and several species are cultivated for their leaves, which are used to make herbal teas, supplements, and laxatives. Senna contains compounds called sennosides, glycosides which act on the lining of the bowel stimulating peristalsis (muscle contractions) and thus promoting the evacuation of feces.
