Solanine (Steroidal Glycoalkaloid · Potato Food Safety · Informational Reference)

Compound	Solanine (α-Solanine)
Chemical class	Alkaloid — Steroidal Glycoalkaloid (Solanidine + trisaccharide)
CAS	20562-02-1
Primary source	Solanum tuberosum (potato) green skin and sprouts; Solanum nigrum (black nightshade)
Key applications	Informational reference — food safety; cholinesterase inhibition; anticancer research context
Claim strength	Emerging (preclinical); Informational only (supplement context)
Typical form	Not a supplement ingredient — food safety monitoring compound
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Name origin: From Solanum (the genus). Solanine is a steroidal glycoalkaloid — the steroidal alkaloid aglycone solanidine linked to a trisaccharide chain (chaconine and solanine share the solanidine aglycone but differ in their sugar chains). It co-occurs with α-chaconine (in approximately 2:3 solanine:chaconine ratio) in potato green tissue and sprouts. Traditional use and food safety context: Solanine has been known as a potato toxin since the early 19th century. The greening of potato skin exposed to light (chlorophyll production) is accompanied by solanine synthesis — a plant defence mechanism. Historical potato poisoning outbreaks in Europe and North America have occurred from consumption of heavily sprouted or severely greened potatoes. Solanine is not degraded by cooking. Research context: Solanine inhibits acetylcholinesterase (the same enzyme targeted by Alzheimer’s drugs galantamine and rivastigmine), has documented antiproliferative activity in cancer cell lines, and anti-inflammatory effects. However, its therapeutic window is extremely narrow — the dose producing pharmacological effects in cell models is close to the toxic dose in humans. Supplement status: Solanine is not a supplement ingredient and is not commercially available for supplement use.

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Solanine — Food Safety and Research Context

Food safety — toxic threshold: The WHO/FAO acceptable intake for total glycoalkaloids (solanine + chaconine) from potato consumption is <1 mg/kg body weight per day. Normal commercial potatoes contain <20 mg/100 g glycoalkaloids (most varieties <10 mg/100 g). Green potatoes or sprouted potatoes can contain 200–400 mg/100 g — sufficient to cause acute toxicity in adults. Symptoms of solanine poisoning: nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea (within 2–12 hours), followed by neurological symptoms (headache, dizziness, confusion) at higher doses. Informational reference.

Anticancer research (preclinical): Solanine inhibits proliferation and induces apoptosis in gastric, lung, breast, and colon cancer cell lines via cell cycle arrest (G2/M), mitochondrial apoptotic pathway, and inhibition of PI3K/Akt signalling. The narrow therapeutic index precludes supplement or pharmaceutical use at effective concentrations. Claim strength: Emerging (cell line data only).

Cholinesterase inhibition: Solanine inhibits acetylcholinesterase and butyrylcholinesterase with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. This mechanism is identical to approved Alzheimer’s drugs (galantamine, rivastigmine, donepezil). The dietary exposure from solanine in potatoes contributes a small background AChE inhibition that is pharmacologically insignificant at normal food intake levels. Claim strength: Emerging.

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Frequently Asked Questions — Solanine

Should green or sprouted potatoes be avoided?
Yes — this is a public health recommendation. Potatoes that have turned significantly green (indicating light-induced solanine synthesis) or have well-developed sprouts should not be eaten. Mild greening on a small surface area can be cut away with a generous margin (solanine is concentrated in the green tissue). Severely green or heavily sprouted potatoes should be discarded. Peeling significantly reduces glycoalkaloid content as solanine is concentrated in the skin and the 1–2 mm below it.

Is solanine destroyed by cooking?
No — solanine is heat-stable and not destroyed by boiling, baking, or frying at normal cooking temperatures. Deep frying at 210°C destroys approximately 40% of solanine — the only cooking method that significantly reduces content. This is why the primary food safety strategy is to avoid greened/sprouted potatoes rather than rely on cooking to reduce solanine.

Does solanine affect people with autoimmune conditions?
Nightshade avoidance diets (eliminating potatoes, tomatoes, aubergine, peppers) have been promoted for autoimmune and inflammatory conditions (arthritis, IBD) based on the theoretical immune-modulating properties of glycoalkaloids like solanine. The scientific evidence for this dietary approach is limited — no controlled clinical trial has specifically demonstrated benefit from solanine avoidance for autoimmune conditions. Individual dietary sensitivity varies and some patients report subjective improvement, but this is not confirmed by controlled evidence.

Are tomatoes, aubergine, and peppers also high in solanine?
These “nightshade” vegetables contain different glycoalkaloids: tomatoes contain tomatine (not solanine); aubergine contains solasonine and solamargine; peppers contain solanine in very small amounts. None of these other nightshades reach the glycoalkaloid concentrations found in green potatoes. For healthy adults consuming these vegetables at normal dietary amounts, glycoalkaloid exposure is well within safe limits.

Related compounds: Chaconine, Tomatine, Solasodine, Colchicine

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Claim-strength scale – High = multiple human RCTs; Moderate = limited trials or strong preclinical convergence; Emerging = early-stage lab or animal data.

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