The ability of the aqueous extract of flesh and seed of Solanum anguivi Lam fruit (African eggplant) used in folk medicine to treat diabetes and hypertension to inhibit Fe2+ and SNP induced lipid peroxidation in rats brain in vitro was determined. The total phenol, total flavonoid, vitamin C content, ferric reducing antioxidant property as well as Fe2+ chelating ability were also determined. The results of this study revealed that aqueous extract of Solanum anguivi fruit (flesh and seed) cause a significant decrease (P<0.05) in the MDA production in rats brain when compared with control. The inhibitory effect of both flesh and seeds of Solanum anguivi on lipid peroxidation could be attributed to the phenol (flesh, 7.13 ± 0.73mg/g GAE, seed 8.20 ± 0.32 mg/g GAE), total flavonoid (flesh 3.53 ± 0.49mg/g QE, seed 1.62 ± 0.61mg/g QE) and vitamin C content (flesh 12.85 ± 0.20mg/g, seed 14.92 ± 0.11mg/g), as well as ferric reducing antioxidant property and Fe2+- chelating ability. Hence, Solanum anguivi Lam. fruit could be used in the management of type 2 diabetes complication due to its antioxidant ability, a property that play a major role in ameliorating complications resulting from oxidative damage in diabetes.
