Solanum torvum Sw.
Synonyms:
Solanum ficifolium Ortega
Solanum filicifolium sensu Abeywick
Group: Dicot
Family: Solanaceae - Potato family
Duration: Perennial
Growth Habit: Shrub Classification Report
Bangla/Vernacular Name: Tit Begun, Gotha Begun, Hat Begun.
Tribal Name: Kurkha (Murong), Bigol bichi (Chakma), Kargola (Marma), Engfy-poi (Khumi), Tit bayun (Rakhaing), Kontakari (Tripura), Borshiborduk (Tripura), Mida begul bichi (Chakma), Pley khauy (Murong), Bigal biji (Chakma), Kajo-ba (Marma), Khaja (Marma), Titar Berul (Tanchangya), Kurka Plawo (Murong).
Description of the Plant:
An armed shrub, stellate-pubescent. Leaves simple, ovate, sinutely lobed. Flowers white, in extra axillary corymbose cymes. Berries globose, yellow.
Chemical Constituents:
Fruits contain sterolin (sitosterol-d-glucoside) and 0.1% gluco-alkaloid solasonine (Chopra et. al., 1992). Steriodal sapogenins - sisalagenone and torvogenin have also been isolated from fruits (Rastogi & Mehrotra, 1993). Leaves contain steroidal gluco-alkaloid, solasonine; steroidal sapogenins, neochlorogenin, neosolaspigenin and solaspigenin. They also contain triacontanol, tetratriacontainic acid, 3-tritriacontanone, sitosterol, stigmasterol and campesterol (Ghani, 2003).
Solanum torvum Sw.
Mode of Uses:
- The roots are crushed on stone and the juice is applied to the forehead for the treatment of headache (Murong).
- Fruits are eaten as a vegetable (Chakma, Marma and Murong).
- Unripe fruits are cooked as vegetable and this is good for gastritis (Khumi).
- Extract prepared from root is taken two to three tea spoonfuls twice daily until cured from fever. Powder prepared from the whole plant and half teaspoonful of this powder mixed with one glass of fresh water, taken twice daily for 12-15 days for the treatment of gastritis, flatulence and stomach pain (Rakhaing).
- Paste prepared from fruit with honey taken one or two spooneful thrice daily untill cured to treat diarrhoea. Tablet prepared from paste of root, taken once daily for two days for the treatment of fever. Tablet prepared from paste of root, taken once daily for two days for the treatment of weakness and pain (Tripura).
- The Marma take boiled fruits with rice at night for 2-3 days to expell thread-worms.
- Roots are useful in poulticing cracks in the foot heels (Chakma).
- The fruits are roasted, pound and eaten (Chakma, Tripura, Marma, Bawm).
Distribution:
Outskirt of the forests and roadsides, throughout the country.
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