Use of brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) in alternative systems of medicine in India
The opposition to BT brinjal has partly arisen because some Solanum species are widely used in Indian medicine. According to Prof. C Kamswara Rao of the Foundation of Biotechnology Awareness and Education (FBAE), Bangalore, he clarifies in a recent book that brinjal is not a medicinal plant; rather, Solanum medicines come from other Solanum species. In his book, “Use of Brinjal (Solanum melongena L.) in Alternative Systems of Medicine in India”, he writes that confusion in the botanical identity and nomenclature of several species of Solanum has led to the incorrect link of brinjal with Indian medicine, in particular Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homoeopathy.