‘Manathakkali’ (Black nightshade or Solanum nigrum), a berry-bearing shrub found in the backyard, is traditionally known for its medicinal value.
Solanum nigrum (Solanaceae) commonly known as Makoi or black nightshade, usually grows as a weed in moist habitats in different kinds of soils, including dry, stony, shallow, or deep soils, and can be cultivated in tropical and subtropical agro climatic regions by sowing the seeds during April–May in well-fertilized nursery beds; it can be used for reclaiming the degraded land as well . It is medicinally used in the management of several ailments, such as pneumonia aching teeth, stomache ache, tonsilitis, wing worms, pain, inflammation, fever, tumor, as tonic, as antioxidant, as anti-inflammatory, as hepaprotective, as diuretic, and as antipyretic.
Now the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has noticed the potential of a compound isolated from the plant to treat liver cancer, thanks to the findings of a team of scientists at Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB).
The US agency has given the compound an ‘orphan drug’ designation, which helps in the development and evaluation of new treatments for rare diseases. It will also help fast-track the drug’s approval. RGCB senior scientist Dr Ruby John Anto, who along with her student Dr Lekshmi R Nath isolated the drug molecule — Uttroside-B — from the leaves of Manathakkali plant, said: “There is only one FDA-approved drug available for liver cancer treatment at present. The compound we developed has found to be more effective than the one available. Toxicity evaluation in human volunteers has shown that the compound is also effective in treating fatty liver.”
Source: Newindiaexpress
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