title: Assessment of the genotoxic risk from laxative senna products.
abstract: Laxative senna products and several of their specific components have been submitted to a large number of genetic tests. While most studies gave negative responses, results from some of the studies suggest that components of senna products, particularly emodin and aloe-emodin, have genotoxic activity. Assessment of the genotoxicity profile of these substances, in light of other data from animal and human metabolism or kinetic studies, human clinical trials and rodent carcinogenicity studies do not support concerns that senna laxatives pose a genotoxic risk to humans when consumed under prescribed use conditions.
authors.affiliation: Corning Hazleton Inc., Vienna, Virginia 22182, USA.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Brusick
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Mengs
mesh_terms: D000504:Aloe / Q000737:chemistry; D000818:Animals; D000873:Anthracenes / Q000494:pharmacology; D000880:Anthraquinones; D015197:Carcinogenicity Tests; D002400:Cathartics / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004642:Emodin / Q000633:toxicity; D006801:Humans; D009152:Mutagenicity Tests; D009153:Mutagens / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010946:Plants, Medicinal; D012676:Senna Extract / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use
chemical_list: D000873:Anthracenes; D000880:Anthraquinones; D002400:Cathartics; D009153:Mutagens; D012676:Senna Extract; C518327:aloe emodin; D004642:Emodin