COMPARATIVE PHARMACOGNOSTIC STUDIES OF THE LEAVES OF SOLANUM INCANUM LINN AND SOLANUM MELONGENA LINN (SOLANACEAE)

📄 Project Abstract

Solanum incanum Linn. and Solanum melongena Linn (Solanaceae) are both shrubs or trees found in the sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. Both are called "gauta among the Hausa community of Northern Nigeria and "Tarku among the Bura/Babar speaking people of Southern Borno of North Eastern Nigeria. They are widely used in traditional medicine for the treatment of pain related illnesses such as sore throat, angina, stomach-ache, colic, headache, painful menstruation, liver pain and pain caused by onchocerciasis, pleurisy, pneumonia and rheumatism. Microscopic, chemo-microscopic, quantitative evaluative and thin layer chromatographic (TLC) studies were carried out on the leaves of both plant species using standard pharmacognostic procedures. Elemental analysis using Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis (INAA) technique was also carried out on the two plant species. Organoleptically, leaves of both plants were green in colour and distinct in odour, but S. incanum had a more bitter ta...