Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Habitat and Distribution —
The plant grows wild and is also cultivated in the rainforest and
deciduous areas of the continent. It is distributed from Sudan to Botswana.
Ethnomedicinal Uses —
The fruits are used as a stomachic. The young leaves are boiled in
soups as a laxative and diuretic. Tender leaves from the young shoots are crushed and applied exter-
nally for treatment of psoriasis and skin diseases.
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Constituents —
The green fruit contains the steroidal alkaloids solanine, solasodine, solamar-
gine, and solanigrine. Other alkaloids found in the plant include solasodamine, tomatine, solauri-
cine, solangustine, and other derivatives.
Pharmacological Studies —
Solanine possesses cytostatic and cholinesterase inhibitory activ-
it y.
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In the French Pharmaceutical Codex 1937,
S. nigrum
was listed as “Huile de Jusqiame,” and the
leaves were used as a poultice, an emollient, and an antineuralgic.
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It is also considered to be slightly
narcotic and antimitotic. The compound possesses analgesic and sedative properties and has been
indicated for migraine, gastralgia, and paralysis agitans, as well as an antipruritic in certain skin dis-
eases.
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Another constituent of the plant, solasodine, antagonizes adrenaline-induced tachycardia.
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SPHENOCENTRUM JOLLYANUM
Botanical Names —
Sphenocentrum jollyanum
Pierre
Family —
Menispermaceae
African Names —
Ashanti: krakoo; Bini: obalabi, obalabe; Twi: edurukokoo
Description —
Sphenocentrum jollyanum
is an erect shrubby plant, growing up to 1.5 m in
height, with very few branches. The leaves, up to 20 cm long and about 5-12 cm broad, are ellipti-
cal; margins are entire, with short and blunt apex and a wedge-shaped base. They are smooth on
both surfaces. The leafstalk is 2-7 cm long, bent, and thickened at the point of attachment to the
leaf. It produces small, cream or yellowish-white flowers, which occur as clusters on common stalks
in the axils of the leaves. The fruits are borne as small drupes, oval in shape and covered with soft
hairs, about 2 cm long and 1.5 cm broad, and brightly orange when ripe.
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