Phytochemical Basis of the Traditional Use of Solanum torvum in Renal Calculi Management: Target Identification and In Vivo Validation

Urolithiasis (renal calculi) is a prevalent condition causing significant morbidity in tropical Nigeria, with limited access to lithotripsy or urological interventions in rural communities driving extensive reliance on herbal preparations. Solanum torvum, a shrub distributed across the forest zones of South East and South West Nigeria, is used by traditional healers in Imo and Ekiti States as an antiurolithiatic agent. This research establishes the phytochemical basis of this use through comprehensive phytochemical characterisation, computational target identification, and in vivo validation. Bioactive compounds were identified by UHPLC-HRMS from S. torvum fruit extracts, and molecular docking against key urolithiasis-associated enzymes (oxalate oxidase, calcium-oxalate crystal inhibitors, urease, and NF-kB) was performed. Seventeen targets were prioritised through network pharmacology analysis for in vivo validation in an ethylene glycol-ammonium chloride-induced nephrocalcinosis rat model. Extract doses of 200 and 400 mg/kg were administered for 21 days. Urinary oxalate, citrate, magnesium, and calcium were quantified. Kidney histopathology and crystal deposition analysis were performed by von Kossa staining. Both doses significantly reduced urinary oxalate and crystal deposition compared to disease controls. Histopathological analysis showed markedly reduced tubular calcium-oxalate crystal load. Chlorogenic acid, solasonine, and diosgenin were computationally and experimentally correlated with the observed antiurolithiatic activity. This study provides a mechanistic scientific framework for the antiurolithiatic ethnomedicinal use of Solanum torvum. Keywords: Solanum torvum, urolithiasis, antiurolithiatic, nephrocalcinosis, network pharmacology