Solanum dasyphyllum (SD) leaf is used in ethnomedicine for treatment of gastrointestinal diseases, gout, swelling, pain and fever-related illnesses. There is however paucity of phytochemical and pharmacological reports on the leaves. Hence, this study was designed to investigate the phytochemical profile and anti-inflammatory activity of SD crude extract and fractions. Powdered SD leaf was extracted with 80% methanol (MESd), and partitioned sequentially into n-hexane (SdHXF), dichloromethane (SdDMF), ethyl-acetate (SdEAF), and aqueous fractions (SdAQF), respectively. Phytochemical screening and thin layer chromatography (TLC) was carried out on extract and fractions. Anti-inflammatory activity of extract/fractions were investigated using membrane stabilizing assay, carrageenan-induced rat paw oedema and hyperalgesia models.
Phytochemical screening revealed appreciable amount of alkaloids, anthraquinones, saponins, tannins, phenols and flavonoids in MESd while TLC spots revealed 13 points for SdHXF, 7 in SdDMF and 10 in SdEAF, respectively. The MESd and SdEAF showed significant anti-inflammatory activities in membrane stabilizing and in carrageenan-induced paw oedema and hyperalgesia models. In conclusion, bioassay guided evaluation of anti-inflammatory activity of Solanum dasyphyllum leaf demonstrated that the ethylacetate fraction demonstrated the most pronounced anti-inflammatory activity. Further study is needed to characterize bioactive constituents and demonstrate its mechanisms of anti-inflammatory activity.