Spectrophotometric Estimation of Sennosides and Rhein Glycosides in Senna and Its Preparations

Abstract

A spectrophotometric method is presented for assaying Senna and its preparations, for both total sennosides and total rhein glycosides content. The method ensures complete elimination of other minor non-carboxylic anthracene derivatives, as well as flavonoidal contaminants. The proposed method quantitates the actual total sennosides content, through the elimination of these contaminants, and through correction for the interference due to the coexistence of rhein with sennidins, in the final determinative step. This would eliminate false high figures for total sennosides by earlier procedures and reflects, perspectively, the actual potency of the assayed samples.