Senna glycoside - wikipedia Senna glycoside Senna glycoside Clinical data Trade names Ex-Lax, Senokot, and others AHFS / Drugs.com Monograph Pregnancy category Routes of administration By mouth ( PO ), rectal ( PR ) ATC code A06AB06 ( WHO ) Legal status Legal status US : OTC Pharmacokinetic data Onset of action Minutes ( PR ), 6 to 12 hours ( PO ) Identifiers ChemSpider none Chemical and physical data Formula Molar mass 862.75 ( what is this ? ) ( verify ) Senna glycoside, also known as sennoside or senna, is a medication used to treat constipation and empty the large intestine before surgery. The medication is taken by mouth or via the rectum. It typically begins working in minutes when given by rectum and within twelve hours when given by mouth. It is a weaker laxative than bisacodyl or castor oil. Common side effects of senna glycoside include abdominal cramps. It is not recommended for long - term use, as it may result in poor bowel function or electrolyte problems. While no harms have been found for use while breastfeeding, such use is not typically recommended. It is not typically recommended in children. Senna may change urine to a somewhat reddish color. Senna derivatives are a type of stimulant laxative and are of the anthraquinone type. While its mechanism of action is not entirely clear, senna is thought to act by increasing fluid secretion within and contraction of the large intestine. Senna is on the World Health Organization 's List of Essential Medicines, the most effective and safe medicines needed in a health system. It is available as a generic medication and is relatively cheap. The wholesale cost in the developing world is about 0.01 USD per pill. Sennosides come from the group of plants Senna. In plant form, it has been used at least since the 700s CE. Contents 1 Medical uses 1.1 Administration 2 Contraindications 3 Adverse effects 3.1 Interactions 4 Mechanism of action 5 Pharmacology 6 Society and culture 6.1 Formulations 6.2 Brand names 7 References Medical uses Senna is used for the short - term treatment of symptomatic constipation. It may also be used to aid in the evacuation of the bowel prior to surgery or invasive rectal or colonic examinations. Administration It should be taken once daily at bedtime. Oral senna products typically produce a bowel movement in 6 to 12 hours. Rectal suppositories act within two hours. Contraindications According to Commission E, the German equivalent of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, senna is contraindicated in cases of intestinal obstruction, acute intestinal inflammation ( e.g., Crohn 's disease ), ulcerative colitis, appendicitis, and abdominal pain of unknown origin. Senna is considered contraindicated in people with a documented allergy to anthraquinones. Such allergies are rare and typically limited to dermatological reactions of redness and itching. Adverse effects Adverse effects are typically limited to gastrointestinal reactions and include abdominal pain or cramps, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Regular use of senna products can lead to a characteristic brown pigmentation of the internal colonic wall seen on colonoscopy. This abnormal pigmentation is known as melanosis coli. Interactions Can increase digoxin toxicity in patients taking digoxin by reducing serum potassium levels, thereby enhancing the effects of digoxin. Mechanism of action The breakdown products of senna act directly as irritants on the colonic wall to induce fluid secretion and colonic motility. Pharmacology They are anthraquinone derivatives and dimeric glycosides. Society and culture Formulations Senna is an over-the - counter medication available in multiple formulations, including oral formations ( liquid, tablet, granular ) and rectal suppositories. Senna products are manufactured by multiple generic drug makers as various brand names. Brand names Ex-Lax Maximum Strength, Ex-Lax, Geri - kot, GoodSense Senna Laxative, Natural Senna Laxative, Perdiem Overnight Relief, Senexon, Senna Lax, Senna Laxative, Senna Maximum Strength, Pursennid, Senna Smooth, Senna - Gen, Senna - GRX, Senna - Lax, Senna - Tabs, Senna - Time, SennaCon, Senno, Senokot To Go, Senokot XTRA, Senokot, Kayam churna. References ^ Jump up to : American Society of Health - System Pharmacists ( January 1, 2008 ). `` Senna ''. Drugs.com. Archived from the original on 6 September 2015. Retrieved 11 August 2015. ^ Jump up to : Navti, Phyllis ( 2010 ). Pharmacology for pharmacy and the health sciences : a patient - centred approach. Oxford : Oxford University Press. p. 337. ISBN 9780199559824. Archived from the original on 2016 - 03 - 05. Jump up ^ `` Senna ( Powdered ) ''. PubChem. ^ Jump up to : Hamilton, Richard J. ( 2010 ). Tarascon pharmacopoeia ( 2010 ed. ). Sudbury, Mass. : Jones and Bartlett. p. 181. ISBN 9780763777685. Archived from the original on 2016 - 03 - 05. Jump up ^ `` WHO Model List of Essential Medicines ( 19th List ) '' ( PDF ). World Health Organization. April 2015. Archived ( PDF ) from the original on 13 December 2016. Retrieved 8 December 2016. Jump up ^ `` Senna ''. International Drug Price Indicator Guide. Retrieved 11 August 2015. Jump up ^ Khare, C.P. ( 2004 ). Indian Herbal Remedies Rational Western Therapy, Ayurvedic and Other Traditional Usage, Botany. Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 133. ISBN 9783642186592. Archived from the original on 2016 - 03 - 05. ^ Jump up to : Lexicomp Online, Lexi Drugs Online, Hudson, Ohio : Lexi - Comp, Inc. ; April 17, 2014. ^ Jump up to : Drugs.com `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2014 - 04 - 19. Retrieved 2014 - 04 - 17. Jump up ^ Lexicomp Lexicomp Online, Lexi Drugs Online, Hudson, Ohio : Lexi - Comp, Inc. ; April 17, 2014. ^ Jump up to : McQuaid KR. Chapter 62. Drugs Used in the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Diseases. In : Katzung BG, Masters SB, Trevor AJ. eds. Basic & Clinical Pharmacology, 12e. New York, NY : McGraw - Hill ; 2012. `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2014 - 04 - 19. Retrieved 2014 - 04 - 18... Accessed April 18, 2014. Jump up ^ `` Senna : MedlinePlus Supplements ''. Archived from the original on 2015 - 04 - 06. Jump up ^ Sharkey KA, Wallace JL. Chapter 46. Treatment of Disorders of Bowel Motility and Water Flux ; Anti-Emetics ; Agents Used in Biliary and Pancreatic Disease. In : Brunton LL, Chabner BA, Knollmann BC. eds. Goodman & Gilman 's The Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics, 12e. New York, NY : McGraw - Hill ; 2011. `` Archived copy ''. Archived from the original on 2014 - 04 - 19. Retrieved 2014 - 04 - 18... Accessed April 18, 2014. Drugs for constipation ( laxatives and cathartics ) ( A06 ) Stool softeners Docusate Stimulant laxatives Bisacodyl Bisoxatin Cascara Castor oil Dantron Oxyphenisatine Phenolphthalein Senna glycosides Sodium picosulfate Bulk - forming laxatives Dietary fiber Ethulose Ispaghula Linseed Methylcellulose Polycarbophil calcium Sterculia Triticum Lubricant laxatives Liquid paraffin Mineral oil White petrolatum ( petroleum jelly ) Osmotic laxatives Lactitol Lactulose Laminarid Magnesium carbonate Magnesium citrate Magnesium hydroxide ( milk of magnesia ) Magnesium oxide Magnesium peroxide Magnesium sulfate Mannitol Pentaerythritol Polyethylene glycol ( macrogol ) Sodium phosphate Sodium sulfate Sodium tartrate Sorbitol Enemas Bisacodyl Dantron Glycerol Oil Sodium laurilsulfate Sodium lauryl sulfoacetate Sodium phosphate Sorbitol Opioid antagonists Alvimopan Methylnaltrexone bromide Naloxegol Naloxone ( Oxycodone / naloxone ) Others Linaclotide Lubiprostone Oxyphenisatine Prucalopride Tegaserod Ulimorelin Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Senna_glycoside&oldid=800494082 '' Categories : Anthraquinone glycosides World Health Organization essential medicines Laxatives Hidden categories : Template : drugs.com link with non-standard subpage Chemicals that do not have a ChemSpider ID assigned Chemical articles without CAS registry number Articles without EBI source Chemical pages without DrugBank identifier Articles without KEGG source Articles without InChI source Articles without UNII source Drugboxes which contain changes to verified fields RTT Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Français 한국어 Italiano ଓଡ଼ିଆ Русский Suomi 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 13 September 2017, at 22 : 13. 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Question: what is the mechanism of action of senna
Answer: is thought to act by increasing fluid secretion within and contraction of the large intestine