Abstract

The present study investigated novelty-induced behavior, learning and memory enhancing activities of aqueous and ethanol fruit extracts of Solanum incanum Linn. using mice models. The mice were divided into sixteen (16) groups of five (5) mice each and treated with distilled water (10 ml/kg, i.p); 7.5, 15, 30 mg/kg (i.p) of both aqueous and ethanol fruit extracts; scopolamine (0.4 mg/kg) and scopolamine (0.4 mg/kg, i.p) plus pramiracetam (100 mg/kg, i.p), 7.5, 15, 30 mg/kg, (i.p) of both aqueous and ethanol fruit extracts. On the 8th day of the experiment, the animal’s locomotor, rearing, grooming, percentage alternation, transfer latency and escape latency were measured. Intraperitoneal administration of S. incanum fruit extracts showed a significant decrease in locomotion, rearing and grooming when compared with distilled water. S. incanum fruit extracts at the tested doses significantly increased the percentage of spontaneous alternation and attenuated the learning and memory impairment induced by scopolamine as indicated in reduction of the transfer latency and escape latency. In conclusion, both aqueous and ethanol extracts of S. incanum fruit significantly improved learning and memory in mice and this could justify the ethnomedicinal use of this plant.

Key words: Solanum incanum, novelty-induced behaviour, learning, memory, albino mice