ABSTRACT

Medicinal plants have continued to point out their effectiveness and dominant role in the health care system and therefore the recognition and development of healthful plants are on the increase principally in developing countries where herbs have continued to be their major supply of the drug.

Solanum Nigrum is a widely used plant in oriental medicine where it is considered to be antitumorigenic, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, hepatoprotective, diuretic, and antipyretic. The fruits are used as a tonic, laxative, appetite stimulant, and for treating asthma.

This study aim was to investigate the activity of Solanum nigrum ethanol leaf extract on carbachol-induced trachea contraction in ovalbumin sensitized guinea pigs. Twenty-five (25) ovalbumin sensitized guinea pigs fasted overnight were used, with five (05) animals per group. Prior to drug treatment, each animal was placed in an histamine chamber and exposed to 2 % histamine aerosol.

Guinea pigs were then allowed to recover from dyspnoea for 24 hrs. After 24 hrs, the animals of groups 2, 3, 4 received 50mg/kgbw, 100mg/kgbw and 200mg/kgbw ethanol extract of S. nigrum, p.o and group 5 received the reference drug aminophylline (25mg/ kgbw, i.p). 

The effect of pre-treatment of ova-sensitized guinea pigs with normal saline, graded doses of ethanol leaf extract of S. nigrum and a standard drug (25mg/kg bw aminophylline) on a timely monitor for carbachol-induced pre-convulsive dyspneoa to occur revealed a significance time difference between the animals administered normal saline and low dose (50 mg/kg bw) S. nigrum extract (p < 0.05). 

In a carbachol pre-contracted guinea pig tracheal, the concentration of S. nigrum ethanol extract cumulatively relaxes the guinea pig tracheal rings contracted with carbachol. The findings of this laboratory animals suggests that Solanum nigrum ethanol leaf extract exhibited an inhibitory activity on carbachol induced trachea contraction in ovalbumin sensitized Guinea pig.