Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.
African laburnum is a small savannah tree of West Africa, known to science as Cassia sieberiana. Healers use the root, bark, leaves and pods. In Hausa it is called marga.
Its best known home use is as a strong laxative drink made from boiled root. Do not mix it up with moringa, which is also sold as "drumstick tree". The two plants are not related.
The human evidence is thin. Nearly all research sits in test tubes or in rats, and good human trials are missing. Long traditional use is real standing, but it is not proof that a plant works or that it is safe.
The bowel effect is the part with the clearest reasoning behind it. The root holds anthraquinones. These plant compounds push the gut wall to move stool along, which is how senna, a close relative, works in people.
That said, this exact species has not been tested that way in a trial. The link is drawn from its plant family and its chemistry.
The other claims rest on lab work. In test tubes, extracts have slowed the growth of some bacteria and fungi. Whether that happens inside a person who drinks root tea is not known.
In rats, extracts have lowered blood sugar and reduced signs of pain and swelling. Those were measured doses given to animals. No human trial has checked any of it.
A laxative also speeds everything through the gut. That can flush out water and salts, which explains several of the risks further down this page.
Most use is homemade, not a packaged product. Boiled root bark is the usual form.
Common forms include: - A root bark decoction, meaning bark simmered in water and the liquid drunk - Dried root sold whole or as powder in markets - Leaf or pod drinks - Leaf or bark pastes put on skin and wounds - Twigs used as chewing sticks for teeth - Capsules, powders or tinctures sold online as "Cassia sieberiana"
None of these are standardised. Market root rarely carries a label. Online products are seldom tested for strength or for what else is in them.
African laburnum has been used across the West African savannah for a very long time. It is recorded in Nigeria, Niger, Mali, Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana and beyond.
Healers mainly gave the root as a purge for constipation and for a "blocked" belly. It was also used for fever, pain, sores, toothache and worms.
Bark and leaf pastes were put on wounds and swellings. Twigs served as chewing sticks.
The plant holds a respected place in many local systems. This page reports that history. It is not a suggestion that you treat yourself with the plant.
Stop and see a doctor if any of these happen: - Diarrhoea that lasts more than two days, or stools with blood - Belly pain that is sharp, steady or getting worse - Vomiting that stops you keeping water down - Dizziness on standing, very little urine, or dark urine - Muscle weakness, cramps, or a heartbeat that feels uneven - Yellow eyes or skin, which can mean liver trouble
Call emergency services for chest pain, fainting, or a racing or skipping heartbeat. Those can mean your potassium has dropped too low.
In the UK, the US, the EU and Australia it is not an approved medicine. It may be sold as a herbal product or raw plant material, with no checks on strength or purity. In parts of West Africa it is an everyday market remedy and is covered by local traditional medicine rules.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
What it is typically used for, usual dose, cautions, and the study behind it where real trial data exists.
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