Senna tablets are made from the dried leaves or pods of the senna plant. The senna is either finely powdered or turned into a concentrated extract, then pressed with ordinary tablet ingredients such as starch and lactose. Each tablet is made to contain a set amount of senna’s active content, which is stated on the pack in milligrams, so that every tablet in the box works the same way.
What goes into a senna tablet
| Ingredient | What it does |
|---|---|
| Senna leaf or pod, powdered or extracted | The active part that relieves constipation |
| Fillers such as lactose or starch | Give the tablet its size and weight |
| Binders | Hold the powder together when pressed |
| Lubricants and flow aids | Stop the powder sticking to the machine |
| Coating, in some brands | Masks the taste and makes the tablet easier to swallow |
The only part that matters for the effect is the senna. Everything else exists so that a factory can press millions of identical tablets and a customer can swallow one easily.
Are senna tablets natural?
The active ingredient is natural, because it comes straight from a plant, but a tablet is a manufactured medicine rather than a raw herb. The senna in it has been processed and measured so that each tablet carries the same dose. That is what makes tablets more predictable than a cup of home brewed senna tea. That predictability is the reason many people who take senna choose tablets.
Leaf or pod, powder or extract
Tablet makers work from either the leaf or the pod. Pods are generally stronger, so less material is needed for each tablet, while leaf is widely available and easy to process. Some manufacturers press finely milled leaf or pod powder directly, which keeps the ingredient list short. Others first make an extract, which concentrates the active content into a smaller weight, so the tablet can be smaller. Either way, the raw material has to arrive clean, well dried and consistent, because the tablet maker builds its dose around the strength of the material it receives.
What a tablet maker needs from its senna supplier
- A pharmacopoeia grade: BP, USP or EP, matching the standard the product is registered to.
- A test report for every lot: strength, moisture, microbial counts, heavy metals and pesticide residues.
- Consistency: strength held within a narrow range, so the dose does not drift between batches.
- Traceability: lot numbers that link each delivery to its harvest and its test report.
- Reliable supply: enough volume, season after season, to keep a production line running.
Our guide to Alexandrian and Tinnevelly senna explains how the pharmacopoeia standards treat the two traditional trade names.
Supplying senna to tablet and extract makers
We process senna leaves and senna pods in Sojat, Rajasthan, to BP, USP and EP grades, as whole leaf, cut leaf, powder and pods, with a test report for every lot. We supply the raw plant material that tablet and extract makers process further, and we do not make tablets or extracts ourselves. Orders start at 100 kg, for buyers in India and for export from Mundra port, and a free sample with its report goes out before your first order.
Frequently asked questions
What are senna tablets made of?
Powdered senna leaf or pod, or an extract of it, pressed with fillers, binders and lubricants. Some tablets also have a coating.
Are senna tablets natural?
The active ingredient comes from a plant, but the tablet is a manufactured medicine, measured so each tablet carries the same dose.
Are senna tablets stronger than senna tea?
Not necessarily stronger, but more predictable, because each tablet carries a measured dose while home brewed tea varies.
Do you make senna tablets?
No. We supply senna leaves and pods, whole, cut or powdered, to the companies that make tablets and extracts.
What grade of senna do tablet makers need?
Usually a pharmacopoeia grade such as BP, USP or EP, with a test report for every lot. We supply all three.
Specs change with the crop, the season and the grade. Ask our export desk for a current lab report, the minimum order and a price to your port, and we will come back within 24 hours.