Phytochemistry and pharmacological studies on Solanum torvum Swartz

Abstract

Article history: Received on: 19/02/2013 Revised on: 03/03/2013 Accepted on: 03/04/2013 Available online: 27/04/2013 The botany, traditional medicinal uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of S. torvum Sw. belonging to family Solanaceae have been reviewed by evaluating information on the Internet (using Google Scholar, CABAbstracts, Blackwell synergy, Elsevier, Cambridge University Press, JSTOR, Nature Publishing and Science online) and in libraries. Traditional medicinal uses of S. torvum were recorded in the Ayurveda and Chinese pharmacopeia. The present review study covered chemical constituents and pharmacological properties of S. torvum as well as its morphology. This has included therapeutic effects of the whole plant and its extracts, fractions and isolated compounds. Antimicrobial, anti-ulcerogenic, antiviral, anti-platelet aggregation, antioxidant, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, systolic blood-pressure modification, and cytotoxic activities have all been described. Previous research studies carried out using different in-vitro and in-vivo bioassay techniques supported the claims of the therapeutic utility of the species.