Tubers damaged in harvesting and/or transport also produce increased levels of glycoalkaloids; this is believed to be a natural reaction of the plant in response to disease and damage. Also, the tuber glycoalkaloids (such as solanine) can be affected by some chemical fertilization.
What kind of chemical is solanine?
Solanine is a bitter-tasting steroidal alkaloid saponin that has been isolated from all nightshades, including tomatoes, capsicum, tobacco, and eggplant. However, the most widely ingested solanine is from the consumption of potatoes. Potato leaves, stems, and shoots are naturally high in this saponin.
Is Green potatoes a chemical contamination?
The chlorophyll that gives some potatoes their green color is completely harmless. In fact, it's present in many of the plant foods you eat every day. Nevertheless, greening in potatoes can also signal the production of something less desirable and potentially harmful — a toxic plant compound called solanine ( 1 ).
What causes solanine?
While the chlorophyll in green potatoes is not necessarily harmful, the color may indicate other processes have taken place inside the potato. The most significant of these is the formation of solanine, which is created after the vegetable is exposed to light.
What is solanine?
Nightshade is the term used to describe over 2,800 species of plants in the scientific family, Solanaceae. Eggplants, tomatoes, and some berries are common members of the nightshade family—many of them contain highly toxic alkaloids. That said, the potato is the most common cause of solanine poisoning in humans.
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