Antioxidant activity of Solanum aculeastrum (Solanaceae) berries

The antioxidant activity of the crude methanol, acetone and water extracts of the berries of Solanum aculeastrum was examined by 1,1-diphenyl-2 picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical-scavenging. The methanol and water extracts had moderate antioxidant activity ranging between 53.1 to 65.5 μg mL^-1, while the acetone extract did not demonstrate significant antioxidant activity at the tested concentrations. The higher antioxidant activity of this plant exhibited by the water extract may be due to the presence of substantial amount of polar constituents from the plant material.