solanine

/ ˈsəʊləˌnaɪn /

noun

1. a poisonous alkaloid found in various solanaceous plants, including potatoes which have gone green through exposure to light

Word History and Origins

Origin of solanine¹

C19: from solan ( um ) + -ine ²

Example Sentences

Had Martin added genes that increased production of solanine — a toxic chemical produced by plants in the nightshade family, including tomatoes and potatoes — the resulting fruit could have been lethal.

From New York Times

Put Potatoes in a Brown Paper Bag "When potato tubers are exposed to too much light, they start to get a greenish tinge to them. This correlates to the production of a compound known as solanine, which is a glycoalkaloid toxin," Fenster says.

From US News

Potato tubers provide starch and vitamins in abundance, but the fruits of the plants are to be avoided - they contain solanine, one of the poisonous alkaloids of the Nightshade family.

From BBC

They contain solanine, a poison that occurs in plants of the nightshade family, which causes vomiting, diarrhea, headache, and lethargy in the short term, and adversely affects heart rate and blood pressure when ingested over an extended period.

From Literature

As the potato belongs to the botanical family containing the dangerous belladonna, tobacco, hyoscyamus, and stramonium, it is not surprising that is should also contain a powerful poisonous alkaloid, namely, solanine.

From Project Gutenberg