PHARMAGOGNOSTICAL STUDY OF SOLANUM ATROPURPUREUM SCHRANK

Summary

1. Solarium alropurpureum was introduced into Egypt and was successfully grown and acclimatised in the Experimental Station of Medicinal Plants, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, U. A. R.

2. Both the macro– and micromorphological characters of the plant have been studied in detail and illustrated.

3. The fruits contain a considerable amount (3.3 per cent in the immature) of the gluco–alkaloids while other organs are either poor or lacking in these principles.

4. The gluco–alkaloids present are solasonine and solamargine. These were detected and identified by paper chromatography, paper electrophoresis, column chromatography and by the identification of the hydrolytic products. No free aglycone could be detected in this plant.

5. To obtain the highest yield of gluco–alkaloids, it is advisable to collect the fruits when the oldest fruit of the cluster is mature, i. e. starts to change from green to yellow.

Zusammenfassung

Es werden die morphologischen und anatomischen Merkmale von Solanum atropurpureum beschrieben. Vor allem in den unreifen Früchten findet sich ein relativ hoher Gehalt an Gluko–Alkaloiden (3,3 %), von denen Solasonin und Solamargin mit verschiedenen Methoden nachgewiesen werden konnten.