SENNA OCCIDENTALIS SEED: IS IT HEALTH RISK OR POTENTIAL MEDICINE?

In resource-limited localities of developing countries, potentially manageable, if not useful, resources may present actual health and agricultural cost due to poor management and lack of awareness of health risk consequences. Senna occidentalis L. (Fabaceae) is a pan-tropical weed with a wide range of medicinal uses, and in some parts used as famine food. Despite possible use as alternative food or medicinal ingredient of this plant, many reports blame its seed as the cause of hidden intoxication to humans and various domestic animals, leading to considerable economic consequences. As has been described by experimentally reproduced natural cases of many animal studies and few human cases, intoxication by seeds of this plant presented varied and non-specific disease manifestations. Induction of mitochondrial damage has been suggested as the mechanism of toxicity, yet the exactly responsible toxin has not been identified. Thus, it seems that Senna occidentalis seed is presenting potentially manageable health risks to animal and human health, especially in resource limited localities of developing countries. In this review, the possible health risks of Senna occidentalis seeds are discussed based on reports from naturally or experimentally intoxicated animal studies, human case reports, and related records. Some scientific claims on its potential medicinal uses are also presented.