Solanine is a poison found in fruits, leaves, flowers of plants of the Solanaceae family. It is well known from the lessons of history that people used to consider potatoes, tomatoes, and eggplants to be poisonous plants.

It happened quite often at that time. The reason for this is the harmful substance in their composition.

So what is solanine, and how is it dangerous to humans?

What kind of poison

Solanine is a toxic alkaloid that forms in plants and protects them from various pests. This is its usefulness in the plant kingdom.

In dry form, it is a crystalline substance. It does not dissolve in aqueous solutions, but in alcohol, on the contrary, we will readily dissolve.

Solanin belongs to the group of glycoalkaloids, a class of steroids. Therefore, this substance also has certain beneficial properties. Steroid medications are often used to treat serious medical conditions. Solanin, in the composition of medicines, when used correctly, reduces inflammation, has an antiallergic effect, and tones up the work of the heart system.

As a rule, drugs with such a substance in the composition do not have side effects. Still, you shouldn't use them yourself. After all, solanine can cause quite serious harm to the body.

Where is solanine found

Where is solanine found? These are any plants of the nightshade family - potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, bell peppers, bay leaves and others. The poison is distributed throughout the plant Most of all it is in the stem, leaves, in unripe fruits.

There is little solanine in root crops. Potatoes become dangerous if the tubers grow in the sun. In addition, improper light storage of this vegetable also leads to the formation of solanine. The amount of poison also increases with the age of the potato, the older contains more of it. In addition, in such tubers it forms another dangerous poison for humans - chaconin.

Solanine also contains overripe eggplant fruit, unripe tomatoes are very dangerous due to the high content of poison in them.

How does the poisoning occur?

Solanine intoxication occurs as a result of ingestion of a dosage in the range of 200 to 400 mg of a toxic substance. It is worth knowing that with improper storage of potatoes, the amount of poison in the tubers can be up to 500 mg per hundred grams of the product.

This is a lot. Therefore, potatoes that have turned green during storage should not be eaten, otherwise a rather serious poisoning may occur. You should also not think that thermally processed potatoes will be safe. At the same time, the poison does not change its properties in any way.

People often give bad food to animals. Cases of pigs poisoning with solanine are not uncommon.

What happens in the body when solanine poisoning occurs?

This substance has a negative effect on the human nervous system, the digestive system is disrupted. In this case, changes occur in the blood, erythrocytes are destroyed.

The poison is excreted through the genitourinary system, also exerting a destructive effect on it.

It should be borne in mind that solanine has the ability to accumulate in the body with constant consumption of it in food in small doses. This can cause bone and joint diseases.

In addition, there is scientific evidence that this poison can trigger the onset of malignant tumors.

Signs and symptoms of poisoning

How does solanine intoxication manifest? The definition of poisoning will not cause difficulties in view of the rather rapid onset of symptoms.

Symptoms:

• Nausea, vomiting,
• Bitterness in the mouth
• Diarrhea,
• Pain in the abdomen
• Sore throat,
• Weakness, lethargy,
• Respiratory dysfunction
• Dizziness occurs
• Decreased urine separation,
• Decrease in pressure,
• Disruption of the heart system,
• Paralysis, convulsions.

Severe poisoning leads to death as a result of complete impairment of respiratory function.

First aid and treatment

If signs of intoxication are found, it is necessary to provide the victim with first aid and call a doctor.

Help:

• A poisoned person needs to rinse the stomach with a weak solution of potassium permanganate.
• After washing, the person is given sorbents to drink for the speedy removal of toxins from the body.
• Various laxatives can be used for the same purpose.
• The victim needs to be provided with rest.

Treatment is carried out in hospitals. Depending on the severity of the poisoning, doctors select the necessary methods of therapy. Various medicines are used to restore the activity of the body's systems.

Precautionary measures

What to do to avoid solanine poisoning? To do this, it is enough to follow a number of certain rules.

Rules:

• Do not eat green unripe tomatoes,
• It is better to throw green potatoes away,
• You need to store potatoes in a cool dark place, not letting them get into the light.
• Most of this vegetable can be eaten before the New Year, and then its consumption must be reduced. The longer it is stored, the more solanine accumulates in the tubers.
• Do not eat potatoes with sprouts.
• Peel off the eggplant.

Compliance with these rules will help prevent poisoning.

Consequences of intoxication

Solanin has a negative effect on the human nervous system. In the future, this is fraught with various diseases. The constant consumption of such a substance causes diseases of the joints and bones. In this case, an exacerbation of various chronic ailments is possible. The most serious consequence is the death of a person.

Solanine is a poison that has a rather negative effect on the human body. It is easy for them to get poisoned, it is especially worth watching out for children who like to try everything on their teeth. If signs of poisoning are found, you need to help the person and take him to the hospital. To avoid this, it is worth adhering to certain rules.

Video: solanin instructions for use

The famous traveler Christopher Columbus brought several nightshade plants to Europe from America - potatoes, tomatoes, tobacco, eggplants, peppers. All plants of the family had the reputation of being poisonous. They were believed to destroy the brain, cause hallucinations and early demise. The poison of the nightshade fruit is called solanine. Solanine poisoning occurs when the fruits of the nightshade family are misused. Let's see exactly where solanine is contained. And when can nightshade plants cause poisoning in humans?

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Potato spread history

Today's "second bread" has a long history of entering our culture. They have repeatedly tried to introduce potatoes into the peasant economy. However, both in Europe and on the territory of Russia, "potato" riots broke out more than once. What is the reason for such a negative attitude of ordinary people to the nightshade plant?

As with all nightshades, potatoes contain solanine. This poisonous substance is unevenly distributed throughout all parts of the plant. The largest amount of solanine is found in potato berries and sprouted green tubers. The smallest is in the roots and tuberous formations (in the potatoes that we eat every day).

Potato berries and young green tubers caused most of the poisoning in the introduction of nightshade into agriculture.

Therefore, potatoes (as well as tomatoes) in the 16th century were planted exclusively for decorative purposes. They were cultivated for bouquets and fashion jewelry.

What is Solanine

Solanine is a poisonous substance that nightshade plants produce to protect themselves. In medical practice, the insecticidal and fungicidal properties of the poison have been used.

The fungicidal qualities of solanine have become the basis of the herbal antiviral agent Panavir. It contains potato stem extract and is used to treat various forms of herpes.

The insecticidal properties of nightshades are used in horticulture to combat harmful insects (infusion of potato tops is sprayed with aphids).

Where is present

It is often surprising to people that potatoes can cause food poisoning. However, this is indeed the case. If they are misused in food, the body becomes intoxicated with poison.

The following plants belong to the nightshade group:

• potato;
• tomatoes;
• eggplant;
• sweet peppers;
• tobacco;
• nightshade;
• dope;
• henbane;
• Bay leaf.

Solanine is found in different parts of plants in different quantities. For example, in a henbane, all parts are poisonous, and especially the seeds. And in potatoes, aerial fruits (potato berries) and green tubers are poisonous. Unripe green tomatoes are poisonous in tomatoes. As for eggplants, in them the poison accumulates in the pulp of the fruit when overripe.

Therefore, eating potatoes that have turned green by the spring or young green tubers, using unripe tomatoes for making salads increases the likelihood of a person being poisoned with solanine. The strength of the poisoning (severe vomiting and diarrhea or general malaise, headache) depends on the amount of poison.

Critical dose

The critical dose of solanine, which causes human poisoning, is 200-400 mg of the poisonous substance. Considering that potato tubers contain 0.05% solanine, it can be calculated that the critical dose of potatoes (which can cause poisoning) is 2 to 4 kilograms of unpeeled tubers.

It is important to know that when cleaning, the amount of solanine is reduced by 80%, because most of the toxic substance is concentrated in the peel.

With such calculations, we show that it is almost impossible to get poisoned with fresh autumn potatoes.

The amount of solanine in potatoes reaches critical values ​​when the tubers are stored in the light. At the same time, they accumulate up to 500 mg per 100 g of potatoes. Even considering that 80% of the solanine is removed with the skin, 100 mg of solanine remains in the pulp per 100 g of pulp. This means that for poisoning, it is enough to eat a good portion of boiled or fried potatoes (400 g).

It is important to know: heat treatment does not neutralize poison. Therefore, no amount of boiling can make the green tuber edible.

As for tomatoes, their fruits are poisonous only when unripe. Ripe red tomato contains almost no solanine.

How does a poisonous substance affect the human body?

Solanin: how the body is poisoned

Solanine poison inhibits the nervous system, upsets digestion and destroys red blood cells. In this case, a medical analysis of urine shows an increased amount of protein (this is the removal of dead red blood cells).

When excreted from the body, solanine also damages the kidneys and skin. These lesions are especially noticeable in chronic (permanent) poisoning.

Solanine tends to accumulate in the body. A small amount of a substance in potatoes, tomatoes and eggplants does not cause poisoning, but when accumulated, it causes joint diseases (arthrosis and arthritis).

In addition, solanine forms black bile and promotes the formation of cancer cells. Therefore, potatoes are also limited in the diet of cancer patients.

Solanine Poisoning Symptoms

Solanin is a bitter poison. Therefore, in addition to the traditional symptoms of poisoning (nausea, weakness, pain in the abdomen and head), there is a bitter taste in the mouth and a burning sensation at the root of the tongue.

During poisoning, nervous symptoms or stomach upsets may predominate. Since the nervous system is depressed, a person's breathing becomes intermittent and uneven, shortness of breath and an arrhythmic pulse may appear. And one more thing: the pupils dilate, the amount of saliva increases.

Solanine poisoning is not always accompanied by diarrhea. But if an upset bowel does occur, the stool has a fetid odor.

Severe poisoning causes cramps in the calf muscles, loss of consciousness and coma.

Chronic poisoning is characterized by the following symptoms: inflammation of the oral mucosa, itching (similar to allergies), drowsiness, and persistent headaches.

First aid and treatment

In case of poisoning with solanine, it is important to remove the poisonous substance from the stomach and intestines as soon as possible. To do this, you need to rinse the stomach (drink up to 2 liters of water and induce vomiting) and make a cleansing enema (also from 2 liters of salted water).

Sebastian Kneipp's hydrotherapy recommends using a wet sheet ("Spanish cloak") to speed up the elimination of toxic substances through the skin. In the treatment of solanine poisoning, this procedure helps to remove the poison circulating in the blood as quickly as possible.

In case of persistent deterioration, an urgent need to consult a doctor.

Treatment of poisoning with solanine in the hospital includes (in addition to washing the intestines and stomach) also droppers with glucose, taking sorbents (Enterosgel, activated carbon), drinking Rehydron (to eliminate dehydration).

Precautionary measures

Solanaceous plants form the basis of our diet. Potatoes are famous as the second bread, tomatoes and bell peppers are the basis of any summer salads. It is difficult and not always possible to refuse nightshades. How to be? How to eat the fruits of the nightshade family correctly?

• The amount of solanine in freshly dug tubers rarely exceeds 10 mg per 100 g of potatoes (this is 0.01%). By spring, the content of solanine in tubers increases (the plant is preparing to germinate) three to four times, and often exceeds the threshold of 0.04-0.05%. In this case, the poison is concentrated under the peel and in the peel of the tubers itself. Therefore, make it a rule - to eat a lot of potatoes only before the New Year. In the spring, limit the amount of potatoes to the first courses, while peeling off the peel layer at least 0.5 cm.
• The green parts of potatoes contain a dangerous dose of solanine. You cannot eat them. But according to the sanitary standards, landscaping 1/4 of the surface of the tuber makes it unsuitable for food for both humans and animals.
• Store potatoes in a dark place. This will provide a minimum amount of solanine in the tubers.
• Breeding advances provide us with varieties with reduced solanine content. Grow them in your garden plot.
• Solanine is destroyed by acetic acid, its amount decreases when the vegetable is soaked in salt water.
• You can determine the amount of solanine in eggplants by visually assessing the color of the pulp. There is little solanine in the light green pulp of young eggplants. There is a lot of solanine in the yellow-brown pulp of old overripe fruits.

Solanine causes joint inflammation and itchy skin. Solanine poisoning can be acute or chronic (occurring over several years). Knowledge about the concentration of poison in various parts of the nightshade plants helps to maintain health and prevent poisoning.

Solanine is a toxic glycoalkaloid formed in plants of the nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes). In plants, it performs a protective function, possessing fungicidal and insecticidal properties.

Source: depositphotos.com

Especially a lot of alkaloids accumulate in potato tubers in the spring, because preparation for the growing season begins in February. To prevent decay, in order to stimulate metabolic processes and germination of sprouts in tubers, the synthesis of solanine is activated. In spring, during storage, its level in tubers increases 4-5 times and reaches 40-70 mg%. Most of all it accumulates in green areas, in the skin, around the eyes, and especially a lot in sprouts. The longer the sprouts of a potato, the more dangerous it is to eat it.

In eggplants, solanine is concentrated mainly in the peel, although its pulp contains at least 0.03%, which gives the fruit a characteristic bitter taste. The higher the solanine content of the eggplant, the more intense the brown tint it acquires in the cut.

The alkaloid is also found in unripe green tomatoes, where its concentration does not exceed 0.008%. As the fruit ripens and grows, the amount of solanine decreases significantly, practically not being determined by the time the tomato becomes fit for consumption.

How does solanine poisoning occur?

Solanine poisoning is possible when eating incorrectly or long-stored vegetables:

• green, sprouted or rotten potato tubers;
• green tomatoes;
• old, crumpled, long-stored eggplants.

Solanine accumulates especially quickly in the peripheral layer of potatoes 2 mm thick when washed tubers are stored in transparent bags or nets.

Poisoning occurs when 200-400 mg of an alkaloid enters the body, which, in terms of the weight of the product, corresponds to 2-4 kg of unpeeled potatoes. The content of solanine in sprouted tubers is much higher - from 100 to 500 mg per 100 g of product (in a purified and unrefined form, respectively).

Solanine is significantly reduced with proper cooking. When boiling potatoes in the skin, solanine is preserved, and when boiling peeled potatoes, most of it passes into a decoction. It is safe to eat the tubers cooked in the peel only until the end of autumn.

Sometimes poisoning occurs during self-medication at home with tinctures and decoctions cooked on potato sprouts or peels.

Poisoning symptoms

In large doses, solanine inhibits the central nervous system and causes hemolysis of erythrocytes, in small concentrations it leads to acute poisoning.

Symptoms of intoxication are nonspecific:

• general malaise, lethargy and drowsiness;
• loss of appetite;
• nausea, vomiting;
• bloating, cramping pain in the umbilical region;
• loose stools.

Source: depositphotos.com

The local irritating effect is manifested by sore throat, bitterness in the mouth, active salivation, ulceration of the oral mucosa is possible.

In severe poisoning, the symptoms of the neurotoxic action of solanine come to the fore:

• headache, dizziness;
• depression of consciousness or speech and motor excitement;
• unsteadiness of gait;
• disorientation;
• persistent pupil dilation;
• tonic and clonic seizures;
• hallucinations, delusions;
• sopor or coma.

In addition to signs of damage to the nervous system, the victims have shortness of breath, tachycardia, a decrease in blood pressure, and a decrease in urination.

First aid for solanine poisoning

1. Carry out a gastric lavage, for which drink 1-1.5 liters of warm water or a weak solution of potassium permanganate, then induce an emetic urge by pressing on the root of the tongue.
2. Take enterosorbent (Enterosgel, Polysorb, Polyphepan, Lactofiltrum).
3. Take a saline laxative (magnesium sulfate) if diarrhea is absent.
4. Provide an adequate drinking regime to detoxify and prevent dehydration.
5. With neuropsychic arousal, take a herbal sedative (tincture of valerian, motherwort, lily of the valley).

When is medical attention required?

Medical assistance is needed if:

• despite the provision of first aid, the victim's condition worsens or there is no positive trend;
• there is an admixture of blood in the vomit or feces;
• the victim is unconscious;
• convulsive syndrome has developed;
• developed delirious syndrome;
• a child, elderly person or pregnant woman is injured.

There is no specific antidote. Treatment of severe solanine poisoning includes detoxification, maintenance of vital functions, primarily respiration and cardiac activity, and restoration of water-salt balance. Symptomatic therapy is carried out aimed at eliminating dysfunction of the nervous system.

Possible consequences

Against the background of solanine poisoning, reactive inflammation of the pancreas, liver tissue, biliary tract, acute renal failure, acute gastritis, gastroenteritis, irritable bowel syndrome is possible.

Prophylaxis

1. Peel potatoes thoroughly before eating.
2. Do not eat sprouted or green potatoes.
3. Do not store potatoes in nets or clear plastic bags.
4. Keep the stored potatoes out of direct sunlight.
5. Do not eat unripe or overripe tomatoes and eggplants.
6. Remember the toxicity of potato sprouts and their peels when treated with non-traditional methods.

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The information is generalized and provided for informational purposes only. At the first sign of illness, see your doctor. Self-medication is hazardous to health!

Potatoes can be called the most popular and affordable vegetable at any time of the year. Many tasty and healthy dishes are prepared from it. Now, few people know that 200 years ago there were popular riots against the cultivation of this crop. The reason for this was the frequent poisoning by the nightshade plant, since the unripe tubers contain the poisonous substance of corned beef.

About vegetable poison

This poisonous substance was discovered in some plants as early as 1820. From the Latin language, corned beef is translated as "nightshade". This glycoalkaloid, according to some scientists, is necessary for nightshades to protect young shoots from animals. For vegetation, it plays an important role in metabolism.

Corned beef is found in the shoots and flowers of potatoes. This natural plant poison, consisting of glucose and solanoidin. The substance has a crystalline structure and is almost insoluble in water, but it is perfectly diluted in alcohol. Such a poison is always found in nightshade crops.

Least of all glycoalkaloid is found in potato roots, more precisely, in its peel. It is also found in unripe tomatoes and in the peel of ripe eggplant. Most of the toxic substance is present in green and sprouted potatoes. In ripe tubers, there is a minimum amount of corned beef. The poison, getting into the human body, causes a sharp excitement of the nervous system and leads to a malfunction of the entire body.

The poisonous substance is distributed unevenly in plants. There is very little of it in good ripe root crops of potatoes and it is not dangerous to health when consumed daily. The highest concentration of the substance is concentrated in berries after flowering and in green and sprouted tubers. The amount of its content depends on the parts of the vegetable crop:

• unripe roots - 1%;
• flowers - up to 0.7%;
• sprouts - up to 0.5%;
• peel - up to 0.06%;
• tops - 0.25%;
• ripe potatoes - up to 0.007%.

Research by scientists has shown that several factors affect the amount of poison content:

• climate;
• weather;
• grade.

The amount of poison can change due to direct exposure to ultraviolet rays, as well as with a sharp decrease in temperature. It is very dangerous to keep the salon in unusable root crops when they are rotten.

In the spring, an aggravation period begins in potatoes, associated with the growing season. At this time, the amount of corned beef rises almost 5 times. It is believed that the longer the sprouts are in root crops, the more dangerous it is for the body.

Poisoning mechanism

What is dangerous for corned beef in potatoes, many do not even suspect, because rarely anyone knows about its content in a vegetable. When the culture first appeared in Russia, potato poisoning was common. At that time, not everyone knew how to properly use it.

Nowadays, potatoes have become a common product, as they are included in many popular dishes. A quality product brings health benefits. Modern people know not to use its flowers and shoots. The danger of poisoning arises if there is a sprouted vegetable with a peel, as well as green potato peels, flowers.

Once in the body, the poison solanine inhibits the nervous system and upsets the digestive tract. It has a destructive effect on red blood cells in the blood. A high protein content in the urine after testing indicates intoxication. With this poisoning, the kidneys and skin are affected.

The poison tends to accumulate in the body, which is very dangerous. If you eat an unripe product or a sprouted product, then signs of poisoning are not immediately observed. The presence of solanine does not appear instantly, but gradually, with painful sensations in the joints. Cancer patients are advised to minimize the consumption of potatoes, since the poisonous substance promotes the formation of new cancer cells.

Glycoalkaloid in other plants

Corned beef is found not only in potatoes, but also in other vegetables of the Solanaceae family. It is abundant in green tomatoes and ripe eggplant peels. Accumulating in unripe small and green tomatoes, the amount of the substance decreases as the fruit ripens. When they turn white, they have a much lower concentration of the toxic substance. As soon as they become ripe, the poison disappears in them.

There are also plants in which the corned beef content can exceed the permissible limits. These include:

• eggplants with blue discarded skin;
• underripe red pepper;
• nightshade black;
• Bay leaf;
• tobacco;
• dope;
• henbane.

The last two plants are known to many of us for their highly toxic effects. The most dangerous are their seeds.

Signs and symptoms of poisoning

Eating unripe potatoes or sprouted root crops, the body receives a dose of poison, which leads to poisoning. This substance causes great harm to the digestive system. General intoxication manifests itself in different symptoms:

• severe diarrhea;
• nausea leading to vomiting;
• paroxysmal pain in the abdomen;
• sore throat and bitterness in the mouth.

After about 2 hours, the toxic substances are absorbed by the blood. Many vital organs begin to suffer from this: the heart and blood vessels, the respiratory, nervous and urinary systems. The person experiences shortness of breath and is sluggish, dizzy. There is also weakness in the joints and muscles, a decrease in the volume of urine excreted.

With severe poisoning with solanine, you can notice more severe symptoms of poisoning, which are life-threatening. Pressure begins to drop, sometimes to a critical level. The victim's heart rate increases, as well as disruptions leading to a slowdown in the heart rate.

Toxins have a destructive effect on red blood cells, after which convulsions occur and general paralysis can occur. Dysfunction of the respiratory center is fatal.

Giving help

At the first sign of solanine poisoning, the victim needs to flush the intestines. The organ needs to get rid of the poison. With the help of a light solution of potassium permanganate, it is necessary to wash the stomach. After that, various sorbents are usually taken, for example, activated carbon. And it is also recommended to drink drinks with an enveloping effect - jelly, milk, egg white. A decoction of oak bark and tannin helps a lot. With a slight manifestation of intoxication, such measures help if they are carried out immediately. Then you should definitely seek medical attention.

If the body has suffered severely, then assistance is provided in a hospital setting. In this case, doctors use various means to remove the toxic substance from the intestines. Usually gastric lavage, diuresis stimulation, intravenous drip solutions are injected. Symptomatic treatment is reduced to maintaining normal breathing, kidney and heart function. Sometimes critically ill patients take antibiotics.

Precautionary measures

In order not to expose the body to the danger of solanine poisoning, you should adhere to some rules for the use of potatoes. And also you need to pay attention to root crops when buying.

It must be remembered that sprouted potatoes are unsuitable for food. When green spots appear on the tubers, they must be cut deeper. After buying stocks of vegetables for the winter, you need to properly store them. It is recommended to dry the potatoes well before sending them to the cellar.

It is necessary to provide root crops harvested for the winter with normal conditions for their storage:

• humidity no more than 90%;
• temperature is about + 3oC.

Eggplants need to be peeled, and tomatoes should only be eaten when ripe. Green fruits can be pickled as acetic acid neutralizes corned beef. During heat treatment, it breaks down when the temperature reaches 250 ° C, so the usual home cooking methods from potatoes will not be able to destroy the poisonous to health.

There are many concerns about solanine poisoning from potatoes, but at the same time, little information can be found on the Internet about this. There are conflicting opinions, for example, about the effectiveness of neutralizing the poison by heat treatment of potatoes. And some give advice on the forums for the therapeutic use of the toxin.

Let's find out what solanine is, are there any cases of poisoning with it in humans? What fruits contain it, what is the toxicity level? We will also analyze the ways to neutralize the poison, symptoms of poisoning, treatment and prevention of poisoning. First, consider what solanine is.

What kind of poison is solanine

Solanine is a natural plant poison. It is composed of glucose and solanoidin. The structure of the substance is represented by crystals. It is practically insoluble in water, but it can be easily diluted with alcohol. Solanine is found in members of the nightshade family.

Solanine is found in all parts of the plant, least of all in roots. It is found in potatoes, ripe eggplant skins, and unripe tomatoes. Ripe potatoes contain very little toxin when stored properly for up to 3 months. Six months later, the amount of solanine begins to increase in the tubers, and more of it is found in green sprouted potatoes.

Is it possible to get poisoned with solanine

Theoretically, the likelihood of intoxication with solanine appears if you eat boiled sprouted potatoes with skin, green potato sedum, unripe tomato, unpeeled eggplant. But since almost no one does this, therefore, not a single case of solanine poisoning from potatoes and other root crops has been recorded.

Poisoning with toxin from other sources, especially berries from potato tops, green nightshade - more likely, this is due to the high concentration of poison in them.

Toxic dose

Ripe potatoes contain only 0.05% solanine. But in old, green, sprouted potatoes, its concentration increases markedly.

To get mild poisoning, it is enough to eat 20 mg of solanine contained in green potatoes, especially in sprouted ones.

The entry into the blood of 200-400 mg of poison is fatal. And since the absorption of the toxin does not occur completely, even more solanine must enter the intestine to cause such a content of the toxin in the blood. But eating that much solanine is problematic.

Solanine Poisoning Symptoms

The mechanism of action of solanine is associated with a direct toxic effect on tissues in direct contact with them - the digestive system will suffer first. The use of a toxic dose will manifest itself:

• nausea;
• vomiting;
• loose stools;
• cramping abdominal pain;
• a feeling of bitterness in the mouth;
• sore throat.

On average, 2 hours after the nightshade eaten, solanine begins to enter the bloodstream. Due to this, there are signs of toxic effects on the cardiovascular, nervous, respiratory, urinary system. There is difficulty in breathing, general weakness, lethargy, headaches, dizziness, decreased urination, protein appears in the urine, part of which is hemoglobin.

With severe poisoning with solanine, symptoms appear:

• lowering blood pressure;
• palpitations;
• interruptions in the work of the heart, followed by a slowdown in the rhythm.

Under the action of the poison, red blood cells are destroyed, muscle twitching begins, which turns into convulsions. They are followed by paresis, paralysis. Death occurs from the cessation of the respiratory center.

Giving help

First aid for solanine poisoning is reduced to freeing the intestines from the poison. For this, the stomach is washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then they give activated carbon or other preparations from the group of sorbents. It is recommended to drink enveloping drinks: jelly, milk, egg white. They give laxatives, astringents (tannin, oak bark). All this is done at an early stage with suspicion of intoxication in the shortest possible time. Then you need to call the ambulance team.

In case of severe poisoning, treatment should be carried out in a hospital.

In the hospital, in this case, efforts are made to remove the poison from the intestines and blood by all available means. Gastric lavage is repeated, stimulation of diuresis is prescribed, solutions are injected intravenously, hemosorption is performed, if necessary - hemodialysis. Symptomatic treatment is prescribed to maintain normal breathing, heart and kidney function. In severe patients, antibiotics are used to prevent infectious complications.

Prevention of solanine poisoning

During heat treatment, solanine is destroyed only after heating over 250⁰C. That is, boiling and even frying (the boiling point of oil does not exceed 180⁰C) does not destroy the natural toxin. What to do?

1. Sprouted potatoes are not recommended.
2. If green areas appear on the tubers, they must be cut off along with the peel.
3. It is important to be able to properly store potatoes. Before wintering, the dug crop is well dried and kept in a cellar, basement or other place. It is important that it is cool, dry there, ventilation is working - the tubers begin to deteriorate in warmth and dampness. When conditions for germination are created, the amount of solanine in such root crops increases greatly. Potatoes are stored in boxes 1.5 meters high at a temperature of 2-3⁰ C, humidity no more than 90%.
4. Solanine in eggplants can be removed by peeling vegetables.
5. Unripe tomatoes can only be used for pickling (acetic acid neutralizes poison).

Let's sum up

So, solanine is a complex plant poison found in the nightshade family. The toxin is resistant to temperature exposure, therefore, it does not break down when products are heat treated at home. For medicinal purposes, the toxin is not used now. Just 20 mg of poison is enough to cause symptoms of poisoning. Therefore, you should not listen to the advice of lovers of non-traditional treatment and take it for the sake of imaginary recovery.

Intoxication often does not come from vegetables, but from eating green berries or other parts of the plant where the level of poison is high. Symptoms of poisoning develop gradually, which is associated with the characteristics of the absorption of solanine. Acidic drinks and, to a certain extent, a weak solution of potassium permanganate neutralize the poison, which helps in the treatment of such poisonings. Otherwise, the treatment does not differ from the general algorithm of actions in case of intoxication.

The solanine in potatoes occurs when the root vegetable is in contact with the sun's rays - and not necessarily direct. In the spring, when nature awakens, potato supplies lying in an insufficiently cold and dark place begin to sprout. Together with access to the sun, the skin of the tubers turns green, and the shoots only add color. Everyone knows from grandmothers that you can't eat green potatoes. The harm of solanine is overgrown with legends: it is believed that if you peel off the green layer, you can still be poisoned, since the invisible poison has soaked the root crop through and through. Is solanine so terrible and how can you poison it?

Solanine poisoning in potatoes

Since Peter I introduced potato cultivation into Russian culture, disputes about its benefits and harms have not subsided. History remembers a lot of evidence of deaths - people were poisoned by the fruits of this plant, not realizing that only tubers are good for food.

Potatoes are a very healthy vegetable containing a large amount of trace elements, carbohydrates, proteins and starch. It also contains fiber, potassium, carotene, vitamins, which are indispensable for good digestion, as well as a high content of folic and organic acids.

Solanine is found in all potatoes and its content in tubers directly depends on the quality of transportation and maintenance.

Solanine is a plant alkaloid, its content in the root vegetable is distributed over the peel and the cambium layer below it. Closer to the middle of the potato, the concentration of solanine, even with a green appearance of the root crop, is insignificant. A small amount of it can have a healing effect on the body. In addition, eating this vegetable ready-made along with the peel will lead to a better assimilation of its components, since the peel will help digestion, and the maximum content of nutrients is right next to it.

But you should not eat green peel - even a very strong stomach may not be able to cope with a high concentration of alkaloid and poisoning is inevitable. The green peel can be peeled off, then you can safely eat the vegetable.

The maximum amount of solanine toxin is found in the berries and leaves of potatoes, which are poisonous and unsuitable for food. To get a lethal dose, it is enough to eat a few of these berries. Potatoes, on the other hand, if they grew underground, as befits a root crop, and not on the surface of the earth, does not contain a dangerous dose of a lethal substance.

However, when cultivating this culture, oversight and negligence is possible. What happens if "green" potatoes, which during their growth and ripening were above the ground and grew in the presence of sunlight, were then used in production and released from the factory of chips or other product? Is it possible to poison them?

Solanine is poorly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, in order to be poisoned, they need a concentration that the body cannot cope with. The seemingly hazardous product will contain a green pigment. When peeling a layer of potatoes with a green pigment, which indicates the presence of solanine, the dose of toxin decreases significantly. But still, overeating such potatoes, even peeled and after thermal processing, is unsafe - cases of minor gastrointestinal upset with stool disturbance and other unpleasant symptoms are not excluded.

Poisoning with potatoes in a child is possible if from 2 to 5 mg of a dangerous substance per kilogram of body weight gets into his body. At this dose, a toxic effect begins to be observed, and exceeding it is critical for life. Therefore, do not give green potatoes to your children.

Solanine poisoning in other foods

Solanine poisoning is possible when this poison is consumed together with the plants in which it is contained.- potatoes, eggplants, unripe tomatoes. The amount eaten by mistake or unknowingly can cause significant harm to health if the critical concentration of the poison in the body is exceeded, which is approximately 300 mg.

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Solanine in tomatoes

A high concentration of solanine in tomatoes is also in the unripe form of this vegetable. Barrel green tomatoes, salads with their addition and other dishes can often be found in Russian cuisine. The properties of this delicacy are such that solanine is significantly reduced if the product is soaked in warm water... And the process of preparing all kinds of preservation from green tomatoes is accompanied by the use of water-based salting. It is important to know that foods containing solanine - including tomatoes - can cause an allergic reaction in people who are prone to food allergies.

The product is not recommended for those with a weak and sensitive stomach. Children should also be wary of foods containing solanine, as the child's body may not be adapted to digest this potent alkaloid.

Solanine in tomatoes can cause severe poisoning, in which drowsiness, lethargy appear and the respiratory rhythm is disturbed, since this alkaloid acts on the central nervous system. The effect on the gastrointestinal tract is due to nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. General intoxication of the body can lead to headaches.

Pregnant and lactating women should also refrain from eating unripe tomatoes, so that there is no risk for the development of the child.

Tomato poisoning is dangerous because you can skip the moment of critical production of the toxin, because the concentration of solanine in tomatoes is much lower than in potatoes or eggplants, and for this reason they do not taste bitter. Eating a completely edible product, a person may not realize that it is dangerous to his health. In addition, there is a possibility of intolerance to this alkaloid.

Solanine in eggplant

If the presence of solanine in potatoes and tomatoes is due to their immaturity, then the opposite is true with eggplant. An overripe vegetable that has been hanging on a branch for a long time accumulates a dangerous toxin.... This vegetable is a carrier of solanine, which has been assigned the "M" category, which means its special properties and greater toxic effect. Its maximum concentration in a vegetable occurs when the eggplant is growing in the wild. Due to the lack of regular watering and the hot climate in which the wild culture grows, eggplant poisoning is most common.

In addition, eggplants are not recommended to be eaten when the fruit has hung on the bush for a long time and has lost its original rind shine. The dullness of eggplants is a sign of old age and there is a good chance that they contain a large dose of solanine.

You can determine if an eggplant is edible by the following criteria:

• if after cutting the product its pulp remains white, then such an eggplant is edible. If the incision site is slightly greenish, and after being in the air begins to turn brown, then this is a clear sign of the presence of solanine in it;
• bitterness, concentrated solanine tastes very bitter;
• when buying eggplants, you should pay attention to their appearance: the vegetable must be young - this can be seen by the sheen of the shell, without brownness and yellowness.

The solanine in eggplants can be reduced by rubbing the chopped pieces with salt or pouring over the saline solution for a few minutes.... This popular method helps to get rid of bitterness and, therefore, from the cause of it - solanine.

Initially, eggplant became popular as a medicine, and only later learned to cultivate it for human consumption. This vegetable contains elements indispensable for a healthy diet, it has an antibacterial effect, normalizes cholesterol levels, and is able to remove toxins from the body.

Therefore, in addition to its usual use in food, it can also be used for the prevention of cancer, applied to open wounds for disinfection and fight with its help with other health problems.

Solanine Poisoning Symptoms and First Aid

Poisoning with any herbal poisons has similar symptoms. Symptoms begin to appear on average after 4 hours and are characterized by acute pain and cramps in the stomach and intestines. Then other signs of a gastrointestinal disorder appear - vomiting, upset stools. The influence of solanine on the nervous system leaves signs of intoxication in the form of headaches, dilated pupils, confusion, and seizures. On the part of the cardiovascular system, tachycardia, arrhythmia and shortness of breath are noted.

Solanine has a pungent bitter taste, so bitterness can remain in the mouth for a long time.

After detecting the first symptoms, you must immediately call a doctor, since the nature of the course of poisoning can become unpredictable and it is not known how the body will react to this poison.

Before the arrival of the ambulance team, you should drink more fluids and take enterosorbents - activated carbon, etc. It is important to remember that only a doctor can provide qualified assistance in case of poisoning in a stationary setting, where all the necessary equipment necessary for treatment is present. Therefore, it is impossible to refuse hospitalization if it is established that solanine poisoning has occurred.

When asked whether green tomatoes, old potatoes or eggplants are bad for you, there is no single answer. You can get both benefits and harm from any product. We should remember about the dangerous substances that surround us in everyday life in order to be ready to competently respond to the threat that has arisen. At the same time, there is no particular harm from products containing solanine, if in appearance they do not give the impression of being heavily affected by late blight and if you are sure of the strength of your stomach.

How to understand that solanine poisoning has occurred, and what to do in this case? Who and how can poison them? Answers to topical questions for people who value the health of their loved ones.

Solanine poisoning is still common. The reason for such sad statistics, like a couple of centuries ago, is the lack of knowledge about this substance. Fortunately, it takes a lot of work to get a lethal dose from familiar foods.

What is Solanine?

Solanin - what is it?

It is a glycoalkaloid of plant origin. It owes its name to the nightshade of the Solanaceae family. This poisonous vegetable glycoside performs a number of important functions in wildlife. One of them is to prevent animals and insects from eating young shoots. We can say that this poison was developed by nature and to protect against humans.

Plants, initially poisonous for people, have long and densely entered the diet of almost all world cultures. The most popular member of the family remains potatoes. Tomatoes, eggplants and bell peppers are also universally loved.

Parts of plants with an absolutely harmless substance content are placed on the table. But under some circumstances, they accumulate such an amount of poison that can be poisoned. Outbreaks of intoxication in the 20th century occur during wartime, hungry lean periods, and are mainly associated with potatoes.

Solanin: benefit and harm

Possesses antifungal and insecticidal action. It has been proven that the content of the substance in potato tubers grows if the plant is attacked by mold or insects underground. We can say that this representative of the nightshade is trying to heal itself.

Sources of Solanine Poisoning

The benefits of the unique glycoalkaloid have not yet been fully disclosed. It is now known that its structure is close to animal cortisone and cardiac glycosides. On the basis of a close relative of solasodin, cortisone was synthesized at the dawn of the use of hormonal drugs.

Only through this method are they available in pharmacies. This vegetable glycoside plays a separate role in the agrotechnological field. With its help, powerful insecticides are made.

But the benefit and harm are equal here. Do not forget that this is a powerful poison. Any doctor will confirm that you cannot self-medicate with this highly toxic drug under any circumstances.

At home, it is impossible to determine the percentage of a substance in a particular plant, therefore all recipes will be inaccurate, and the consequences of such treatment can be fatal.

Solanine is found in green potatoes

Solanine poison

Solanine poisoning can be predicted if a product with a substance content of about 40 mg per 100 g enters the body. The risk group is made up of people with underdeveloped or weakened immunity: children, the elderly, chronically ill, pregnant and lactating women.

Properties

1. The ability to accumulate in the body. This must be remembered with frequent consumption of nightshades.
2. Bitter taste. Helps determine if food is unfit for consumption.
3. Resistant to high temperatures. Vegetables with a high poisonous content will not lose their toxicity after cooking.

Of the nightshades more familiar to people as a food, an increased level of toxin can be found in potatoes. The most poisonous parts of it are berries, tops, green areas of tubers and sprouts. However, it is a mistake to assume that the green pigment is the color of solanine. Chlorophyll, synthesized with the help of sunlight, is responsible for it.

It only indicates the presence of an alkaloid there. The poison can be present in potatoes without color if the root crop was stored for more than 6 months. Increasing the shelf life only multiplies the toxin accumulating in the peel and the layer underneath.

Solanine Poisoning: Precautions

The poison in eggplant fruits rises after reaching maturity. This can be easily seen from the look of the vegetable. The dark surface wrinkles and stops shining. Lack of watering has the same effect.

Unlike previous representatives, tomato fruits contain the most toxin in an unripe, green state. Tomatoes come to ripeness practically without it.

It is almost impossible for a healthy adult to enter a lethal amount of toxin. Rather, we can talk about cumulative poisoning with an effect on the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms of such intoxication are typical for many food poisons.

Symptoms:

• drowsiness, lethargy;
• bloating of the intestines;
• harsh-smelling loose stools;
• nausea and vomiting;
• grasping abdominal pain localized in the umbilical region;
• increased salivation.

But the impact on children threatens with more serious symptoms affecting the central nervous system and blood cells. You need to be especially careful with what the child eats from the garden. In history, there are many cases of poisoning with potato or nightshade fruits.

Symptoms:

• hallucinations;
• Strong headache;
• loss of orientation in space;
• dilated pupils;
• cramps of the limbs.

Solanine Poisoning Symptoms

First aid for poisoning

For someone, intoxication can pass without unnecessary complications, but for someone it can cost health or life. Therefore, if there are appropriate signs, you should contact the clinic or call an ambulance.

Solanine poison usually does not manifest itself as a pronounced symptomatology. Such deviations can be a consequence of the work of other toxins or the onset of many diseases. Making a diagnosis based on anamnesis and test results is strictly a medical matter.

Solanine in the blood is confirmed by erythrocytes destroyed during hemolysis. In the analysis of urine, this is reflected by an increased protein content.

When should you call an ambulance?

• If a child has symptoms of toxemia. The younger the crumb, the faster you need to act.
• If there are signs of poisoning in a pregnant woman. It is necessary to prevent the possible effect of the poison on the fetus and the weakened body of the expectant mother as soon as possible.
• In the presence of blood in the vomit and feces of an adult. These signs indicate a deeper lesion.
• With a rapidly deteriorating condition of the patient.

While waiting for an ambulance, you need to take feasible measures:

1. Induce vomiting unless naturally occurring.
2. Do not try to stop natural vomiting and loose stools. The body cleans itself.
3. Since a large amount of fluid comes out with vomiting and feces, it is necessary to maintain the water-salt balance with plenty of drinking to prevent dehydration.
4. Take any enterosorbent. Enterosgel and activated carbon are both suitable.

Reanimatologists and toxicologists deal with severe alkaloids poisoning. There is no antidote, so treatment consists of maintaining the functions of vital organs and systems.

Important Information About Poisonous Solanine

If there is a suspicion of intoxication, but the symptoms are mild, you should see a therapist. The doctor will competently assess the current condition, ask for the necessary tests and redirect to a narrower specialist.

Health implications

Most often, mild toxemia passes without consequences for human health. But severe intoxication can cause problems with the digestive system such as gastritis, gastroenteritis, irritable bowel syndrome.

The body's excretory system, which is under attack, can also malfunction. Cases of kidney failure and liver inflammation are not uncommon.

Video

After watching this video, you will be much more careful about your choice of vegetables. Caution, common foods may contain solanine poison!

Now potatoes have become a part of the national cuisine of Russia and other countries. It is difficult to imagine that whole popular revolts arose against the introduction of this root crop. It seems: what did the peasants have against tasty potatoes? Why didn't they thank Tsar Peter the Great, who brought the plant to Russia? The fact is that the planting of potatoes was introduced by order, but explanatory work was not carried out. The peasants took in food and gave the livestock the ground parts of the plant. And as a result, they got sick and even died. The loss of livestock, the death of people - and for this it was necessary to give the sown area for potatoes? Naturally, this led to riots. But the government, instead of explanatory work, suppressed the unrest with the help of troops. The last riots took place in Russia in the 1840s. And the cause of frequent poisoning was the corned beef substance. The meaning of the word, a description of the action of the component on the body are given in this article.

Corned beef and corned beef: etymology of terms

The Slavs salivate with these similar-sounding words. Still would! Who doesn't like corned beef? Meat (beef, pork, lard), prepared for future use, helped out in the hungry winter time. Previously, in every peasant house there was corned beef, any housewife knew the salting recipe. When the animal was cut, most of the carcass remained. How to store meat when there were no refrigerators and freezers yet? It was cut into pieces and dipped in salt. There it was kept for a long period. The tasty meat was then removed as needed and soaked in fresh water. The salt was gone and the beef was eaten.

The word "corned beef" has Slavic roots and comes from "salt". This is due to the way the dish is prepared. And what is "corned beef", what is the etymology of this word? It comes from Latin. Solanum is nightshade. And the corned beef substance accumulates in all plants of this family. Therefore, nightshades are considered poisonous.

Some plants are able to defend themselves against pests themselves. They accumulate glycoalkaloid glycoside in their tissues. This poisonous organic compound was named solanine, since its highest concentration is observed in the nightshade family. The leader in toxicity is Solanum dulcamara. In bittersweet nightshade, all parts are toxic - roots, stems, leaves, and fruits. A deadly portion of corned beef is found in unripe berries. Black nightshade is also a poisonous plant. But what is corned beef and how does this substance affect the body? It causes a sharp excitement of the nervous system, and then its rapid depression. Red blood cells are decomposed in the blood. Poisoning is manifested by nausea and vomiting, abdominal cramps, headache, diarrhea, dilated pupils, disorientation, and fever. In severe cases, convulsions, coma are observed.

The nightshade family is quite extensive and includes many plant species. Do you know what the scientific name is for our "second bread", potatoes? Tuberous nightshade! So it is not surprising that peasants who did not know how to eat potatoes were often poisoned with the ground parts of the plant. There is especially a lot of poisonous corned beef in berries. But even then, when the peasants began to eat, poisoning continued to happen. Why? If the root vegetable is kept in the light, it begins to accumulate corned beef. Especially a lot of toxic substance accumulates in the skin, in green areas. But cleaning and heat treatment of tubers reduce the content of corned beef in potatoes at times. Even in a raw root vegetable without a peel, only five percent of the original amount of the substance remains.

Corned beef in other foods

Tomatoes also belong to the nightshade family. But with tomatoes, the situation is simpler. Corned beef accumulates only in unripe fruits, small and green. As soon as the tomato grows to the size of its variety and turns white, the concentration of the poisonous substance in it decreases sharply. Such fruit can already be salted or pickled. And in ripe red tomatoes, there is no poisonous substance. "Solanum Melongena" - this scientific name hides the well-known eggplant. He, it turns out, is also nightshade. But the poisonous substance corned beef leaves with bitterness, if you cut the eggplant, salt it, press down with oppression and leave for ten minutes. All toxins will go away along with the excreted juice. By the way, unlike tomatoes, the concentration of corned beef in eggplant increases as the berries ripen. Young fruits are edible.

How to choose the right potatoes

We know how to eat corned beef. We are also aware that you cannot eat shoots and berries in potatoes. But do we know how to grow such root crops, in which there would be an insignificant amount of solanine? Potatoes need to be planted deeply and the bush should be spud. Then the sun's rays will not penetrate deeply and the roots will not turn green. Do not plant potatoes in sandy soil - this will increase the concentration of corned beef. Young juicy tubers are very tasty. And you will probably be upset by the information that they contain more toxic substances than the potatoes collected in the fall. Vegetables cannot be stored for a long time. And potatoes - so especially. The concentration of corned beef in sprouted and green tubers quadruples. Look for undamaged potatoes at the store.

Treatment for poisoning

We already know what corned beef is and that it can be seriously poisoned. Now varieties of potatoes have been developed in which the concentration of this substance is extremely low. Therefore, cases of poisoning have become rare. Mild signs of intoxication are possible when eating a kilogram of unpeeled young and raw tubers. Poisoning of animals is much more common, especially those who like to eat potato peels (rabbits, guinea pigs, less often dogs and cats). What to do at the first symptoms of intoxication? You need to immediately do a gastric lavage, give activated charcoal tablets and a laxative. This is first aid. You need to see a specialist as soon as possible. It may require intravenous rehydration therapy, which can only be done in a hospital (or veterinary clinic).

Is Solanine Dangerous?

To answer this question, one should think about why plants of the nightshade family accumulate this substance in themselves. Solanin has insecticidal and fungicidal properties. Thus, the plant is protected from pests. And since in nature the difference between a poison and a medicine lies only in the dosage, why not turn the properties of solanine for good? Traditional medicine gives us many recipes for potato treatment. The solanine contained in it perfectly heals purulent wounds, eliminates boils, softens and soothes the skin in case of burns. To do this, you need to rub the raw tuber on a fine grater, and put the gruel with a few drops of vegetable oil in a gauze compress. Candles for hemorrhoids are made from raw potatoes. The juice squeezed from the tubers is a mild laxative, diuretic, antimicrobial and pain reliever. Inhalation of freshly boiled potatoes with steam helps with coughing.