Qualitative and Quantitative Phytochemical Studies of Solanum Macrocarpum L. and Solanum Aethiopicum L. Fruits

The indigenous eggplants in Nigeria are cultivated for their leaves, fruits, or both, eaten as vegetables or used as traditional medicine. However, solanum aethiopicum L. and solanum macrocarpon L. is the most cultivated and most utilized in Nigeria. The phytochemical constituents, quantitative composition and chromatographic analysis of the two species of garden eggs fruits were studied. The samples obtained were oven-dried at 40°C and the dried matter were successfully soaked in 80% methanol while the resulting crude fraction of S. aethiopicum (13.40 %) and S. macrocarpon (13.00 %) were partitioned with petroleum ether (6.50 %) and ethyl acetate (4.00 %) respectively. The findings from qualitative phytochemical screening showed the presence of alkaloids, steroids, tannins, phenolics, terpenoids, flavanoids, saponins, and glycosides while alkaloid, saponin, and flavonoid were quantified in both species of garden eggs. The results revealed solanum aethiopicum L. contained higher levels of beneficial agents than solanum macrocarpon L. The thin layer chromatographic analysis showed a higher retention factor in S. macrocarpon L. (0.90, 0.98, 0.99, and 0.5) than in S. aethiopicum L. (0.70, 0.40, 0.55, and 0.75) at various ratios of n-hexane and chloroform. The two indigenous eggplants are not only nutritionally and therapeutically valuable but also have the potential of providing precursors for the synthesis of useful drugs.