Essai de culture du Cassia italica au Burkina Faso : evolution des teneurs en sennosides au cours de la croissance

Abstract

Cultivation attempt of Cassia italica in Burkina Faso : sennosides content evolution during plant development. This paper presents the basic principles for an exploitation of cassia italica in the sennosides production (medicinal use : laxatives). A tentative of cultivation is described with emphasis upon the plant phenology and the ponderal evolution of each organ. The different organs assays have shown that only the folioles and flowers contain sennosides in respectable amounts (between 1, 0 and 1, 7 %) in contras with follicules in which sennosides could not be detected. The most propitious period for the folioles harvesting has been determined to be the full flowering, this growth stage being coincident with a maximum foliole biomass and sennoside content.