Botany
Talong-talongan is an ascending or spreading weed, branched and hairy, 30-60 cm in height. Stems and petioles haves scattered spines, 3 to 6 mm in length. Leaves are oblong-ovate, 4-12 cm long, with pointed tips, irregularly undulate-lobed margins, and inequilateral base. Flowers are borne in racemes in the axils of leaves. Calyx is green; the corolla, purplish, rotate, and 5 -lobed, about 2 cm in diamter.

Distribution
Found in waste places at low and medium altitudes.

Parts utilized and preparation
Leaves and seeds.

Constituents
Fruit yields solanine and related glycoalkaloids.

Characteristics and Properties
Leaf poultice resolvent.
Seeds are sedating.

Uses
Folkloric
· Seeds used as sedative; also used for toothaches.
· Poulitce of leaves used for swelling and inflammation.
· In Kenya, fruit used for treatment of cutaneous mycotic conditions.
· In Ethiopia, roots used for amoebic dysentery; as vermifuge, anti-protozoal and antifungal.

Studies
• Antibacterial: Study showed isolated compounds to be effective inhibitors of the growth of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeasts, dermatophytes and some pathogens of agricultural produce.
• Hypoglycemic: Study of three vegetables (Solanum incanum, V amygdalina and G latifolium) showed significant reductions of blood glucose levels at most post-prandial points. The bioactive antioxidant substances naturally occurring in stems, roots and leaves may possess an insulin-like effect. The rich NSP content of Solanum incanum is also likely to be a reducing factor.
• Unripe Fruit Toxicity / Veterinary Study: Study on ripe fruits of S incanum showed no toxicity effect in sheep and goats. Unripe fruits, however, showed toxicity, more in sheep than in goat, the goats probably having a way of reducing the toxic effects of the unripe fruits.
• Anti-Malarial: In a study of nine Ethiopian plants for anti-malarial activity, S incanum exhibited moderate activity.

Availability
Wild-crafted.