Negro Coffee has been traditionally used to promote normal bowel movements. It is a cousin species of Senna, a known and stronger purgative. Despite its name (which comes from its occasional use as a coffee substitute), Negro Coffee is absolutely unrelated to coffee.

The plant is bitter, purgative, laxative, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, hepatoprotective, anti-malarial, analgesic, vermifuge and febrifuge. It mainly used to detoxify liver, use to cure internal bacterial and fungal disorders, to kill parasites and viruses, enhances immunity, and promotes perspiration. It is also helpful in cough, convulsions, reduces blood pressure, reduces spasms and as cardiotonic. Seeds are brewed into a coffee-like beverage for asthma, and a flower infusion is used for bronchitis. Leaves are used in the treatment of gonorrhea, fevers, urinary tract disorders and edema.

The seed is bitter and has purgative properties; it is also used as a diuretic, liver detoxifier, as a hepato-tonic (balances and strengthens the liver).

Further, used in whooping cough and convulsion.

In Suriname's traditional medicine, coffee senna is used against throat inflammation, colds, asthma, fever and flu, also used against poisonous snake bites.

It is an excellent remedy for fungus - and bacterial infections.

An undershrub grows up to 2 meters in height. Leaves pinnately compound, paripinnate, with 3-5 pairs; flowers yellow, in short pedunculated racemes. Fruits compressed, 8-12 cm long, containing 10-30 ovoid, compressed and grayish brown seeds.


MEDICINAL PROPERTIES Plant pacifies vitiated vata, kapha, cough, bronchitis, allergy, asthma, fever constipation, diabetes, skin diseases, wounds and ulcers.

Useful part : Root, Seeds, Leaves.
Found throughout India up to an altitude of 1,500 m.
C.occidentalis is an erect, annual herb or undershrub. The leaves are lanceolate or ovate-lanceolate, the leaflets, 3-paired, membranous, glaucous, ovate or lanceolate; the flowers, yellow, in short racemes; the pods, recurved, glabrous and compressed; the seeds, dark olive green, ovoid, compressed, hard, smooth and shining.

The seeds yield an oil. They also contain 1, 8-dihydroxy-2- methylanthraquinone, 1, 4, 5-trihydroxy-7-methoxy-3- methylanthraquinone, physcion, its glucoside, rhein, aloe-emodin, chrysophanol, its glycoside, N-methylmorpholine, glucosides of campesterol and ß-sitosterol, and a galactomannan1.