ABSTRACT:
The berries and leaves are mainly used for medicinal purposes, besides the other parts of the whole plant. The leaves are used as poultice for rheumatic and gouty joints, skin diseases, used in the treatment of anti-tuberculosis and are said to produce Diaphoresis. Leaves are also used in dropsy, nausea and nervous disorders. The decoction of the berries and flowers are useful in cough. These are remedy for pulmonary tuberculosis and bronchitis, diuretic. The juice of the berries used as an antidiarrhoeal, ophthalmopathy and hydrophobia. It is also used in heart disease. Berries are used to posses tonic, diuretic and cathartic properties. They are also useful in inflammations and skin diseases. The roots are useful in osteopathy, ophthalmopathy, rhinopathy and hepatitis. The whole plant used as antiseptic, antiinflammatory, expectorant, cardiotonic, digestive, diuretic, laxative, diaphoretic, sedative, swelling, cough, asthma. The plant is also effective in curing cardiopathy, leprosy, hemorrhoids, nephropathy, ophthalmopathy, dropsy and general debility. Decoction of the plant depresses the CNS and reflexes of the spinal cord. In antibacterial screening performed by disc diffusion method against two gram negative bacteria namely Xanthomonas campestris (plant pathogen) and Aeromonas hydrophila (animal pathogen), it was found that the methanol extracts of all the plant samples showed significant activity against the two tested bacteria. The methanol extracts of S. nigrum exhibited clear zone of inhibition against the tested microorganisms. The ethanolic extract of the dried fruit of Solanum nigrum L. was assessed for its possible antimicrobial activity. The ethanolic extract showed moderate antibacterial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria. The antibacterial activity of Solanum nigrum was detected against Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumonia and Pseudomonas aeruginosa.