Eggplant (Solanum melongena).Plant Part Used: Fruit.Dominican Medicinal Uses: The raw fruit is traditionally chopped and soaked in water to extract its bitter constituents, and this water is taken as a drink for diabetes, high cholesterol and obesity.Safety: The fruit is considered safe as a widely consumed vegetable.Clinical Data: The fruit has been investigated in human clinical trials as a potential treatment for eye and vision problems due to its interocular pressure-lowering effects.Laboratory & Preclinical Data: In laboratory and preclinical studies the fruit constituents have shown antioxidant activity in animal models. The following activities of this plant have been demonstrated using in vitro assays: antioxidant, antitumor and spasmogenic.* See entry for Berenjena in “Part 3: Dominican Medicinal Plant Profiles” of this book for more information, including references.
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