Analytics of senna drugs with regard to the toxicological discussion of anthranoids

Toxicological studies indicate that two hydroxyanthraquinones (HAs), aloe-emodin and emodin, present as minor components in senna, might represent a genotoxic or cancerogenetic risk for man. Since aloe-emodin and emodin occur in senna in the free form as well as their glucosides and dianthrone glucosides, a HPLC method was established to allow the quantification of all free and glycosidic 1,8-dihydroxy anthranoids. The sum of the free HAs and their calculated content in each of their prodrug forms is defined as the potential HA content. For the comparison of different senna drugs in respect to the genotoxic risk arising from their potential aloe-emodin or emodin contents, a risk index has been established.