Qualitative phytochemical profiling and estimation of solasodine in Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad & Wendl. Berries using high-performance thin layer chromatography

Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad & Wendl. (Syn. S. virginianum Linn.), commonly known as Kantakari, is a widely used medicinal plant in traditional Ayurvedic formulations due to its diverse phytochemical nature. The plant is known to contain many bioactive constituents including solasodine, which is of considerable pharmacological and industrial significance. The present study aimed to carry out qualitative phytochemical screening and a High-Performance Thin Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) method for the quantification of solasodine in the berries of S. xanthocarpum. Ethanolic extracts of shade-dried berries were subjected to standard phytochemical tests, confirming the presence of key secondary metabolites including alkaloids, flavonoids, glycosides, tannins, terpenoids, and saponins. An HPTLC method was carried out using a mobile phase consisting of n-butanol: ethyl acetate: 10% acetic acid (10:7:3) and detection was carried out at 530 nm post-derivatization with anisaldehyde-sulfuric acid reagent. Solasodine was identified at an Rf value of 0.7 and the calibration curve exhibited good linearity (r² = 0.9983) in the range of 200-700 ng. The solasodine content in the berry extract was found to be 0.0095% on a dry weight basis. This method provides a reliable and cost-effective approach for the estimation of solasodine in S. xanthocarpum and can be effectively applied in the quality control of herbal formulations containing this phytoconstituent.