The benefits and harms of green tomatoes or how to remove solanine. What is solanine in potatoes, why is it so dangerous? Poison poisoning symptoms, first aid tips

Solanine in potatoes appears when the root crop has contact with the sun's rays - and not necessarily direct. In the spring, when nature wakes up, potato supplies lying in a place that is not cold and dark enough begin to sprout. Together with the access of the sun, the peel of the tubers becomes 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 an invisible poison has soaked the root crop through and through. Is solanine so terrible and how can they be poisoned?

Solanine poisoning in potatoes

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

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

Solanine is contained 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 crop is distributed on the peel and the cambium layer underneath. Closer to the middle of the potato, the concentration of solanine, even with the 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 in finished form along with the peel will lead to better absorption of its components, since the peel will help digestion, and the maximum content of nutrients is located 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, after which it is safe to eat the vegetable.

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

However, when cultivating this culture, oversight and negligence are possible. What happens if the "green" potato, which during growth and ripening was above the ground and grew with access to sunlight, was then used in production and released from a chip or other product factory? Can they be poisoned?

Solanine is poorly absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, in order to be poisoned, they need such a concentration that the body cannot cope with. A 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 the toxin is reduced significantly. But still, it is not safe to overeat such potatoes, even peeled and after thermal treatment - cases of minor gastrointestinal upset with stool disorders and other unpleasant symptoms are not excluded.

Potato poisoning in a child is possible if from 2 to 5 mg of a dangerous substance per kilogram of body weight enters his body. At this dose, a toxic effect begins to be observed, and its excess 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 along with plants in which it is contained.- potatoes, eggplant, unripe tomatoes. The amount eaten by mistake or ignorance can cause significant harm to health in the event that the critical concentration of poison in the body is exceeded, which is approximately 300 mg.

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Vladimir
61 years old

solanine in tomatoes

A high concentration of solanine in tomatoes is also found 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 who have a weak and sensitive stomach. Children should also be wary of foods containing solanine, as children's bodies may not be able to digest this potent alkaloid.

Solanine in tomatoes can cause severe poisoning, in which drowsiness, lethargy and respiratory rhythm are disturbed, since this alkaloid acts on the central nervous system. The action 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 to the development of the child.

Poisoning with tomatoes is dangerous because you can miss 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. When 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 is assigned the category "M", which means its special properties and greater toxic effect. Its maximum concentration in a vegetable occurs when eggplant grows in the wild. Due to the lack of regular watering and the hot climate in which the wild crop grows, eggplant poisoning most often occurs.

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 luster of the peel. The dullness of eggplants indicates their old age and there is a high probability that they contain a large dose of solanine.

To determine whether eggplant is suitable for food, you can do it by the following signs:

• if after cutting the product its flesh remains white, then such an eggplant is suitable for food. If the place of the cut is slightly greenish, and after being in the air it 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 eggplant, you should pay attention to their appearance: the vegetable should be young - this can be seen from the sheen of the shell, without brownness and yellowness.

The solanine in eggplant can be reduced by rubbing the cut pieces with salt or soaking in a saline solution for a few minutes.. This folk method helps to get rid of bitterness and, therefore, from the cause of its cause - solanine.

Initially, eggplant became popular as a medicinal product, 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 the usual use in food, it can also be used to prevent cancer, apply to open wounds for disinfection and fight with it with other health problems.

Symptoms of solanine poisoning and first aid

Poisoning with any plant poisons has similar symptoms. Symptoms begin to appear after an average of 4 hours and are characterized by acute pain and cramps in the stomach and intestines. Then there are other signs of gastrointestinal upset - vomiting, stool disorder. The effect of solanine on the nervous system leaves signs of intoxication in the form of headaches, dilated pupils, confusion, convulsions. From the side of the cardiovascular system, tachycardia, arrhythmia and shortness of breath are noted.

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

After the discovery of the first symptoms, you should 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, you should drink more fluids and take enterosorbents - activated charcoal, etc. It is important to remember that only a doctor in a hospital can provide qualified assistance in case of poisoning, where all the necessary equipment necessary for treatment is present for this. Therefore, it is impossible to refuse hospitalization if it is established that solanine poisoning has occurred.

In answer to the question of whether green tomatoes, old potatoes or eggplants are harmful, there is no definite answer. From any product you can get both benefit and harm. We should be aware of the hazardous 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 they do not look like they are heavily affected by phytophthora and if you are confident in the strength of your stomach.

The famous wanderer Christopher Columbus from America brought some types of nightshade to Europe. All of them have gained fame as toxic plants. There was an opinion that their consumption in food is fraught with the appearance of hallucinations and a quick death. The poison of the nightshade is called solanine.

vegetable poison

What is solanine?

It is a natural poison of plant origin. It contains glucose and solanoidin.

The poison solanine is practically insoluble in water. However, we will perfectly dissolve in alcohol.

Being in nature

This glucoalkaloid contains green parts, buds, flowers and fruits of those plants that belong to the nightshade family (lat. Solanaceae). Among them are potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, peppers. For this reason, both in Europe and in Rus', "potato" rebellions were noticed more than once. But is such a negative attitude towards nightshades really justified? The content of this poison depends on:

• from the maturity of the plant. This is true for tomato and eggplant. Its high concentration in unripe or overripe vegetables.
• From growing and conservation conditions (in addition to those mentioned above). This is true for potatoes.

In addition, size also plays a role for potatoes. There is more poison in small tubers. Under the influence

sunlight during the period of emergence of sprouts, the concentration of poison in the tubers increases significantly. Then in the autumn, as it ripens, it decreases.

Permissible rate

Fresh autumn tubers contain no more than 2-10 milligrams of solanine per 100 grams of potatoes. During long-term storage until spring days, it can increase to 50 mg, dispersing mainly in the green area of ​​the tuber, near the peel and eyes. In peeled potatoes, it is two or more times less (up to 80%).

When solanine in potatoes exceeds 20-30 milligrams per 100 grams, then with a single dose of such a portion it will be poisonous.

In small doses, corned beef is not only not dangerous, but also has a healing effect. A dose of 500 milligrams can be lethal.

Severe poisoning with solanine can be obtained with its content in root crops from 200 to 400 mg. In other words, if you eat 1 kg of green, unpeeled tubers, you can get potato poisoning.

Toxemia

Heat treatment does not neutralize solanine

Fresh autumn potatoes pose no danger. Solanine poisoning can be obtained from a long-stored green root crop. Even heat treatment does not neutralize the poison.

Impact on the body

Solanine has its negative effect both during ingestion and after excretion. And the impact can have very serious consequences, even death.

When ingested

By eating potatoes containing a high concentration of poison, a person can cause significant damage to health.

Salonin has a depressing effect on the central nervous system, introduces disorders into the digestive process, and destroys the integrity of red blood cells.

In this situation, the results of laboratory tests show an increased protein content. Thus, dead red blood cells are removed.

When leaving the body

In the process of excretion, the poison affects the kidneys and skin. Especially obvious signs of damage in case of chronic intoxication.

Storage

With the accumulation of toxins, the development of arthrosis, arthritis is possible.

In small quantities, potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants do not provoke toxemia. But with the systematic consumption of low-quality foods, the accumulation of toxic components in the body occurs. This is fraught with the development of joint diseases - arthrosis, arthritis.

Restrictions, contraindications

This toxic substance is able to form black bile and start the process of forming cancer cells. Therefore, in the diet of cancer patients, potatoes are present in limited quantities.

Symptoms of toxemia

This glucoalkaloid is a bitter toxic substance. Therefore, the traditional signs of poisoning are supplemented by specific ones. Signs of toxemia are manifested in:

Headache, weakness - signs of solanine poisoning

• nausea;
• general weakness;
• pain in the abdomen;
• dizziness and pain in the temples;
• feeling of bitterness in the mouth;
• burning sensation on the tip of the tongue;
• intermittent breathing;
• shortness of breath
• uneven pulse;
• dilated pupils;
• salivation.

Not always such toxemia is accompanied by diarrhea. But in the case of a gastrointestinal disorder, a fetid and pungent odor is inherent in the feces.

Acute intoxication provokes convulsions and convulsions of the calf muscles, as well as loss of consciousness. In the end, it is possible to fall into a coma.

Chronic toxemia is characterized by inflammation of the oral mucosa, itching of the skin, which is sometimes confused with allergies, drowsiness and constant fatigue.

Giving help

If the signs of toxemia proceed in a sluggish form, then when assisting the patient, you can do without doctors. But if there is a persistent deterioration in well-being, professional help is needed.

Self-treatment

When providing home care, a number of standard measures are necessary:

• gastric lavage by taking 2 liters of water and inducing artificial vomiting;
• washing the intestines with a cleansing enema prepared from 2 liters of water, lightly salted;
• taking sorbent medications (enterosgel, polysorb, smecta).

In addition, hydrotherapy can be performed according to the Sebastian Kneipp method. Its essence consists in wrapping with a moistened sheet or other cloth. The procedure is known as the "Spanish cloak". It is very effective in removing toxic substances.

In a hospital setting

The treatment of such intoxications in the hospital includes, in addition to gastrointestinal lavage with a probe, the introduction of glucose by drip, the intake of sorbents and rehydrating drugs to replenish lost fluid.

Fruits and vegetables are considered safe foods. However, they can also contain compounds that are not useful and even dangerous for humans. For example, solanine is a poisonous substance that is produced in ordinary potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants and other vegetables. In order to assess the scale of its toxicity, we turned to an expert.

About whether solanine is really dangerous and how to neutralize it, we were told by Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Leading Researcher at the Laboratory of Nutritional Epidemiology and Gene Diagnosis of Nutritionally Dependent Diseases of the Federal Research Center for Nutrition, Biotechnology and Food Safety Arseniy Nikolaevich Martinchik:

Solanine is chemically classified as a glycoalkaloid. He and his analogues are found in potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants. In nature, plants need these compounds to protect themselves from pests and diseases. For humans, this substance is toxic, but it is worth remembering that in tomatoes, eggplants, as well as peeled potatoes, the concentration of solanine is so insignificant that it practically cannot harm a person.

Where is the most solanine?

Most of all solanine is in potatoes, but not in the tuber itself, but in the peel, sprouts, and especially in the tops and stems. There are known cases of poisoning with potato leaves - people ate them as green vegetables. The tops are not used even in the feeding of farm animals. If you do not take into account the stems and foliage, then the most solanine is on damaged potatoes (around the damage site), as well as in green areas.

Green color on potato tubers appears under the influence of sunlight. In these places, the concentration of chlorophyll responsible for photosynthesis increases (often sprouts appear from them). During these processes, the production of solanine is also activated. Therefore, such areas must be cleaned along with the peel.

How to "neutralize" solanine?

The concentration of solanine may increase, for example, in overwintered potatoes. Over time, the skin becomes thicker and the content of the substance increases. Therefore, it is better to cut the skin thoroughly from an old potato, removing the top layer of the tuber along with it. It is believed that cooking is the best way to destroy all unwanted compounds. However, this is not always the case. For example, when potatoes are fried, they dehydrate and solanine concentrations may increase slightly, but even then it does not become dangerous to health. And when cooking, on the contrary, the compound goes into a decoction.

Read about the study of potatoes by Roskachestvo experts

Symptoms of poisoning

In history, there are cases of solanine poisoning in the famine years, when people with weakened body defenses ate potatoes that gave numerous sprouts (in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bwhich the level of solanine is elevated), and also lain in storage for a long time and accumulated this glycoalkaloid. Even deaths are mentioned, but that was so long ago, around the 1920s, and now it is difficult to say how true such stories are.

Ordinary solanine poisoning is accompanied by typical symptoms of gastrointestinal upset: vomiting, diarrhea. Blood impurities are possible, because solanine damages the upper layer of the intestinal epithelium. Usually no temperature. The first signs develop within 4-14 hours. If you suspect such poisoning, it is better to immediately consult a doctor. In severe cases, there may be clouding of consciousness and convulsions. But in order to get so seriously poisoned, you need to eat really a lot of solanine - from stems and leaves, from green-skinned potatoes. A frying pan of fried potatoes cannot lead to such a state.

Does solanine have any health benefits?

According to some reports, it is able to inhibit (oppress) cancer cells. But all these studies were carried out in vitro, that is, in vitro. There have been no clinical trials involving humans, and in animal trials, solanine has not shown a significant therapeutic effect. In any case, in the amount in which the substance is found in potatoes and other vegetables, it cannot have either a toxic or a therapeutic effect (if the latter were indeed proven).

Is solanine in tomatoes and eggplant dangerous?

Some nightshades also contain glycoalkaloids that repel pests. But in these vegetables, their content is less than in peeled, intact potatoes, so it is pointless to be afraid of fresh tomatoes. Unless in an unripe form, being green, they contain a slightly increased concentration. But even if you eat one or two green tomatoes, nothing bad will happen.

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The poisonous properties of green sprouted potatoes are written in every school textbook on botany, but solanine poisoning occurs with surprising regularity.

This comes from the carelessness of choosing potatoes in the store, when it is visually noticeable that there were sprouts on the flabby tubers, but they were broken off during packaging. Or there are one or two green spots on the skin of the tubers, but a person believes that if they sell, then you can eat. Or poisoning with old potatoes from the pantry happens in the spring because, in order to save money, the skin of the root crops is not removed thick enough, and the eyes that gave small sprouts are not cut out neatly enough.

How to prevent solanine poisoning? Do not eat unripe, overripe fruits of the Solanaceae genus: peppers, tomatoes, eggplants, and green potatoes, where toxic solanine is formed and accumulated during long-term storage.

In addition, it is necessary to exclude damaged (crumpled, rotten, blackened) root crops and vegetables from the diet, since they always contain much more poison than in whole, with a strong, smooth skin, products.

What is known about the toxicity of solanine

Solanine is a poison formed in flowers, sprouts, foliage, roots of nightshade plants to prevent their destruction by various pests.

What is a safe intake for a person is from 2 to 10 mg (per 100 g of products). Constant excess of the norm leads to the accumulation of a toxic substance in the body, signs of food poisoning appear. Long-term or single intake of more than 200 mg causes an instant rejection reaction: vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions and even confusion, as the poison destroys the nervous system.

Plants in which the content of the alkaloid solanine can exceed the norm many times over:

• overripe blue-skinned eggplants;
• green potatoes and sprouts;
• unripe sweet pepper;
• Bay leaf;
• nightshade;
• tobacco;
• henbane;
• dope;
• Lots of green tomatoes.

In potatoes, the distribution of the alkaloid is uneven; in each part of the plant, solanine exists in different quantities. In addition, the degree of toxicity of root crops depends on many other factors: varieties, agricultural practices, storage time and conditions.

Why vegetables become poisonous

The saying “Every vegetable has its time” most of all reflects the quality indicators of potatoes. The reasons for the excess formation of solanine are diverse:

• green potatoes are obtained with a shallow planting, and also if they are not spudded in time (until the tops have grown);
• during transportation and storage in a place unprotected from light, it often happens that the potatoes turn green after 4-5 days;
• washed root crops turn green faster and contain more poisonous substance;
• the alkaloid solanine is more actively formed inside tubers infected with diseases and pests, as well as with a surface injured during digging and processing;
• the higher the concentration of mineral synthesized fertilizers applied under potatoes, the more toxin subsequently accumulates;
• the level of solanine in potatoes is high during the growing season (germination, immaturity of young tubers). Then decreases during maturation, dangerously increases again after 6 months of storage.

Tomatoes and unripe peppers are also high in alkaloids as long as they are a clear green hue, but once the fruits reach milky ripeness, they can be canned, as the level of toxicity drops sharply.

Eggplants become poisonous when they are overripe. High danger is the consumption of peel and seeds of these vegetables.

What threatens with alkaloid poisoning

Is it possible to eat unpeeled boiled green potatoes in small quantities? The unequivocal answer to this question is no. The poison is sparingly soluble, so most of it remains under the skin after boiling.

1. After the penetration of solanine into the stomach and intestines, indigestion begins, the entry of toxins into the blood vessels. This leads to the destruction of red blood cells, inhibition of the functions of the nervous system.
2. Prolonged poisoning with solanine leads to damage to the kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, liver, joints, as well as difficult-to-treat dermatitis of the skin.
3. Boiled potatoes without peel are partially released from the poison, but the broth becomes highly toxic. If the potatoes even turn a little green, heat treatment does not guarantee the destruction of solanine, so it is better to refuse to use it not only for people, but also for pets.
4. Dishes from overwintered flabby potatoes should not be eaten by pregnant women and babies, since alkaloids can cause severe pathologies in the development of the child.

In addition, potato juice squeezed from last year's root crops in spring and summer is also very dangerous for human health, since it is poisonous due to the high concentration of not only solanine, but also nitrates.

Symptoms

The initial signs of solanine alkaloid poisoning practically do not differ from the characteristics of food poisoning caused by other poisons. If you accidentally eat green potatoes (tomatoes, peppers), where the solanine norm exceeds 200-400 mg, in large quantities, almost immediately, after 3-4 hours (or after 8-9 hours), the following symptoms will appear:

• acute pain and cramps in the stomach, intestines,
• vomiting, salivation,
• increase in body temperature,
• dyspnea,
• pain in the head,
• tachycardia, arrhythmia,
• diarrhea with painful urging and offensive stools,
• the pupils of the eyes dilate.

A high degree of intoxication is expressed by the occurrence of convulsions, confusion, and even loss of consciousness, respiratory depression.

After eating foods containing more than 10 mg of solanine (per 100 g), a bitter aftertaste will remain in the mouth, and itching and itching will form in the larynx.

The lethal dose for a child is a one-time intake of solanine from sprouted (or green) potato peelings from 2 to 4 mg. glycoalkaloid per kilogram of body weight. For an adult - up to 3 to 6 mg. solanine.

Urgent Care

Neither boiling water during boiling, nor overcooking the product in a pan prevents the action of the poison, therefore, the skin from old (9-12 months of storage) root crops must be peeled in spring and summer, and the green potatoes should be completely discarded. What to do if symptoms of poisoning appear?

1. Call a doctor immediately. The sooner medical care is provided, the better the prognosis;
2. Rinse the stomach with 5 - 6 liters of water, two (three) of which with the addition of potassium permanganate;
3. It is possible to use a solution of sea salt to cleanse the stomach (2 tablespoons per 5 liters of water);
4. Make a cleansing enema;
5. Take Smecta, Enterosgel, Activated charcoal, Polysorb, other absorbent (adsorbent) drugs recommended by doctors for use in case of poisoning.

If symptoms of solanine poisoning appear (cardiac, pulmonary insufficiency), you need to be prepared to carry out resuscitation.

Prevention

You can not cook food from sprouted, rotten, blue, green potatoes - it contains a lot of solanine. Even healthy root crops at the end of the storage season (spring, early summer) are best boiled, after removing the skin in a thick layer (not less than 0.5 cm), since it is in it that the alkaloid content is highest.

How to test fruits for excess solanine:

• make small indentations near the eyes (1mm),
• apply 1 drop of acetic acid (80%) to the sections,
• drop a drop of sulfuric acid
• apply hydrogen peroxide on top (3 drops of a 5% solution).

If there is an excess of solanine in the tuber, the potato slice will acquire a dark raspberry (burgundy) hue. Weak intensity of staining (became a pale pink color) indicates the norm of its content.

It is important to know: the longer the potatoes are stored, besides, they turn green, the more toxins are in the tubers.

Greenish potatoes, as well as with sprouts, cannot be eaten categorically, but they are better suited for planting, since a high concentration of solanine protects root crops from diseases, they are not eaten by pests.

The famous traveler Christopher Columbus brought several nightshade plants to Europe from America - potatoes, tomatoes, tobacco, eggplant, peppers. All plants of the family had the glory of poisonous. It was believed that they destroy the brain, cause hallucinations and a quick death. The poison of nightshade fruits is called solanine. Solanine poisoning occurs when the fruits of the nightshade family are misused. Let's see where exactly solanine is found. And when can nightshade plants cause poisoning in humans?

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The history of the distribution of potatoes

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

Like all nightshades, potatoes contain solanine. This poisonous substance is distributed unevenly throughout all parts of the plant. The greatest amount of solanine is in potato berries and sprouted green tubers. The least - in the roots and tuber formations (in the potatoes that we eat daily).

Potato berries and young green tubers were the cause of most poisonings during the introduction of nightshade into agriculture.

Therefore, potatoes (as well as tomatoes) were planted in the 16th century exclusively for decorative purposes. They were cultivated for bouquets and fashionable 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 became the basis of a herbal antiviral agent called Panavir. It contains potato stem extract and is used to treat various forms of herpes.

The insecticidal properties of nightshade are used in horticulture to control harmful insects (aphids are sprayed with an infusion of potato tops).

Where present

Often people are surprised by the fact that potatoes can cause food poisoning. However, this is true. If they are used improperly, the body becomes intoxicated with poison.

The group of nightshades includes the following plants:

• 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 henbane, all parts are poisonous, and especially the seeds. And in potatoes, above-ground fruits (potato berries) and green tubers are poisonous. In tomatoes, unripe green tomatoes are poisonous. As for eggplants, the poison in them accumulates in the pulp of the fruit when overripe.

Therefore, eating potatoes that have turned green by spring or young green tubers, using unripe tomatoes for making salads increases the likelihood of human poisoning with solanine. The strength of 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 a poisonous substance. Given that potato tubers contain 0.05% solanine, it can be calculated that the critical dose of potatoes (which can cause poisoning) is from 2 to 4 kilograms of unpeeled tubers.

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

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

The amount of solanine in potatoes reaches critical values ​​when 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 peel, 100 mg of solanine per 100 g of pulp remains in the pulp. This means that for poisoning it is enough to eat a good portion of boiled or fried potatoes (400 g).

Important to know: heat treatment does not neutralize the poison. Therefore, no boiling can make a green tuber edible.

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

How does a poisonous substance affect the human body?

Solanine: how the body is poisoned

The poison solanine depresses the nervous system, upsets digestion and destroys red blood cells. At the same time, 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 affects the kidneys and skin. These lesions are especially noticeable in chronic (permanent) poisoning.

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

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

Symptoms of solanine poisoning

Solanine 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 gastric disturbances 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 the bowel disorder did occur, the feces have 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, persistent headaches.

First aid and treatment

In case of solanine poisoning, it is important to remove the toxic substance from the stomach and intestines as soon as possible. To do this, 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 recommends hydrotherapy to speed up the removal of toxic substances through the skin using wet sheet wrapping (“Spanish cloak”). 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 of the condition, it is necessary to immediately consult a doctor.

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

Precautionary measures

Nightshade plants form the basis of our diet. Potatoes are known as the second bread, tomatoes and sweet peppers are the basis of any summer salads. Giving up nightshade is difficult and not always possible. 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 the 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 skin and in the very skin of the tubers. Therefore, make it a rule - eat a lot of potatoes only before the New Year. In the spring, limit the number of potatoes to the first courses, while peeling off a layer of peel of at least 0.5 cm.
• The green parts of potatoes contain a dangerous dose of solanine. You cannot eat them. But according to sanitary standards, greening 1/4 of the surface of the tuber makes it unsuitable for human and animal food.
• Store potatoes in a dark place. This will ensure the minimum amount of solanine in the tubers.
• Achievements of selection supply us with varieties with a low content of solanine. Grow them in your backyard.
• 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 eggplant by visually assessing the color of the pulp. There is little solanine in the light green flesh of young eggplants. There is a lot of solanine in the yellow-brown pulp of old overripe fruits.

Solanine causes joint inflammation and itching. Solanine poisoning can be acute or chronic (occur over several years). Knowledge of the concentrations of poison in various parts of nightshade plants helps to maintain health and prevent poisoning.

Solanine is a toxic glycoalkaloid that is formed in plants of the nightshade family (tomatoes, eggplants, potatoes). In plants, it performs a protective function, having 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. Solanine synthesis is activated in the tubers to prevent decay, in order to stimulate metabolic processes and germinate sprouts. 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 peel, around the eyes, and especially in sprouts. The longer the sprouts of a potato, the more dangerous it is to consume.

In eggplant, 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 content of solanine in the eggplant, the more intense brown tint it acquires on 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 suitable for consumption.

How does solanine poisoning occur?

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

• green, germinated or rotten potato tubers;
• green tomatoes;
• old, wrinkled, 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 germinated tubers is much higher - from 100 to 500 mg per 100 g of product (in purified and unrefined form, respectively).

The amount of solanine is significantly reduced with proper cooking. When boiling potatoes in their skins, solanine is preserved, and when boiling peeled potatoes, most of it passes into a decoction. Eating tubers cooked in the skin is safe only until the end of autumn.

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

Symptoms of poisoning

In large doses, solanine depresses 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, spastic pain in the umbilical region;
• loose stool.

Source: depositphotos.com

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

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

• headache, dizziness;
• oppression of consciousness or speech and motor excitement;
• unsteadiness of gait;
• disorientation;
• persistent pupil dilation;
• tonic and clonic convulsions;
• hallucinations, delusions;
• stupor 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, and then induce vomiting by pressing on the root of the tongue.
2. Take an enterosorbent (Enterosgel, Polysorb, Polyphepan, Laktofiltrum).
3. Take a saline laxative (Magnesium sulfate) if there is no diarrhea.
4. Provide an adequate drinking regime to detoxify and prevent dehydration.
5. In case of neuropsychic excitement, take a herbal sedative (tincture of valerian, motherwort, lily of the valley).

When is medical assistance required?

Medical assistance is needed if:

• despite the provision of first aid, the condition of the victim is deteriorating or there is no positive dynamics;
• in vomit or feces there is an admixture of blood;
• the victim is unconscious;
• a convulsive syndrome developed;
• developed a delirium syndrome;
• a child, an elderly person or a 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, restoration of water-salt balance. Symptomatic therapy is carried out, aimed at eliminating the dysfunction of the nervous system.

Possible consequences

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

Prevention

1. Thoroughly peel potatoes from eyes before eating.
2. Do not eat sprouted and green potatoes.
3. Do not store potatoes in nets or clear plastic bags.
4. Keep stored potatoes out of direct sunlight.
5. Do not eat tomatoes and eggplants that have not reached maturity or overripe.
6. Be aware of the toxicity of potato sprouts and skins when treated with non-traditional methods.

Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:

The information is generalized and is provided for informational purposes only. Seek medical attention at the first sign of illness. Self-medication is dangerous to health!

Potatoes can be called the most popular and affordable vegetable at any time of the year. Many delicious 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 of the nightshade plant, since the unripe tubers contain the poisonous substance corned beef.

About plant poison

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

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

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

The toxic substance is distributed unevenly in plants. There is very little of it in good mature potato roots and it is not dangerous to health when consumed daily. The highest concentration of the substance is concentrated in berries after flowering and green and germinated tubers. The amount of its content depends on the parts of the vegetable crop:

• immature root crops - 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 scientists have shown that the amount of poison content is influenced by some factors:

• climate;
• weather;
• grade.

The amount of poison can change due to direct exposure to ultraviolet rays, as well as a sharp drop in temperature. The content of salonin in unsuitable root crops when they are rotten is very dangerous.

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

Mechanism of poisoning

What is the danger of 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 a frequent occurrence. At that time, not everyone knew how to use it correctly.

Now potatoes have become a familiar product, as they are part of many popular dishes. A quality product benefits health. Modern people know that you can not use its flowers and shoots. The danger of poisoning arises if there is a sprouted vegetable with a peel, as well as green potato peelings, flowers.

Once in the body, the poison solanine depresses the nervous system and upsets the digestive tract. It destroys red blood cells. A high protein content in the urine after testing indicates intoxication. With such 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 sprouted, 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 toxic 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. There is a lot of it in green tomatoes and the peel of ripe eggplant. 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 a toxic substance. As soon as they become ripe, the poison in them disappears.

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

• eggplants with a blue scorned peel;
• unripe red pepper;
• nightshade black;
• Bay leaf;
• tobacco;
• dope;
• henbane.

The last two plants are known to many of us for their highly toxic effects. Their seeds carry the greatest danger.

Signs and symptoms of poisoning

By eating immature potatoes or sprouted root vegetables, the body receives a dose of poison, which leads to poisoning. This substance causes great harm to the digestive system. General intoxication is manifested by various symptoms:

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

After about 2 hours, 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. A person experiences difficulty breathing and he manifests lethargy, dizziness. There is also weakness in the joints and muscles, a decrease in the volume of urine excreted.

With severe solanine poisoning, you can notice more severe symptoms of poisoning, which are life-threatening. Pressure begins to drop, sometimes to a critical point. The victim has an increased heart rate, as well as failures leading to a slowing of the heart rate.

Toxins have a destructive effect on red blood cells, after which convulsions occur and general paralysis can occur. Death occurs from dysfunction of the respiratory center.

Giving help

At the first signs of solanine poisoning, the victim needs to rinse the intestines. The body needs to get rid of the poison. With the help of a light solution of potassium permanganate, it is necessary to do a gastric lavage. 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. Not bad helps decoction of oak bark and tannin. With a slight manifestation of intoxication, such measures help if they are performed immediately. Then you should definitely seek medical help.

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

Precautionary measures

In order not to expose the body to the danger of solanine poisoning, you should follow some rules for eating 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 vegetable stocks for the winter, you need to properly store them. Before sending to the cellar, it is recommended to dry the potatoes well.

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

• humidity not more than 90%;
• temperature around +3oC.

Eggplants need to be peeled, and only ripe tomatoes should be consumed. Green fruits can be pickled, since acetic acid neutralizes the effect of corned beef. During heat treatment, it is destroyed when the temperature reaches 250 ° C, so conventional home cooking methods from potatoes will not be able to destroy the poison hazardous to health.

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

Let's find out what solanine is, are there cases of poisoning with it in humans? What fruits contain it, what is the level of toxicity? We will also analyze the methods of neutralizing the poison, the symptoms of poisoning, the treatment and prevention of poisoning. First, let's look at what solanine is.

What kind of poison is solanine

Solanine is a natural plant poison. It consists of glucose and solanoidin. The structure of matter is represented by crystals. It is practically insoluble in water, but is readily 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 root crops. It is found in potatoes, the peel of ripe eggplants, and in unripe tomatoes. There is very little toxin in ripe potatoes when properly stored 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 by solanine

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

Poisoning by toxin from other sources, especially berries from potato tops, green nightshade - this is more likely 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 earn mild poisoning, it is enough to eat 20 mg of solanine contained in green potatoes, especially sprouted ones.

Entry into the blood of 200-400 mg of poison leads to death. And since the absorption of the toxin is not complete, in order to cause such a content of the toxin in the blood, even more solanine must enter the intestines. But eating so much solanine is quite problematic.

Symptoms of solanine poisoning

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;
• liquid stool;
• spastic pain in the abdomen;
• a feeling of bitterness in the mouth;
• sore throat.

On average, 2 hours after eating nightshade, solanine enters 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 solanine poisoning, symptoms appear:

• lowering blood pressure;
• heartbeat;
• interruptions in the work of the heart with subsequent slowing of 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 to free the intestines from the poison. To do this, the stomach is washed with a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Then give activated carbon or other preparations from the group of sorbents. It is recommended to drink enveloping drinks: jelly, milk, egg white. Give laxatives, astringents (tannin, oak bark). All this is done at an early stage if intoxication is suspected in the shortest possible time. Then you need to call an ambulance.

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. The gastric lavage is repeated, stimulation of diuresis is prescribed, solutions are administered intravenously-drip, hemosorption is carried out, if necessary, hemodialysis. Symptomatic treatment is prescribed, aimed at maintaining normal breathing, heart and kidney function. In seriously ill patients, antibiotics are used to prevent infectious complications.

Prevention of solanine poisoning

Solanine is destroyed during heat treatment only after heating to more than 250⁰ C. That is, boiling and even frying (the boiling point of the oil does not exceed 180⁰ C) 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 know how to properly store potatoes. Before wintering, the dug up crop is well dried and kept in a cellar, basement or other place. It is important that it be cool, dry, ventilation works - the tubers begin to deteriorate in heat 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 not more than 90%.
4. Solanine in eggplants will be relieved by peeling vegetables.
5. Unripe tomatoes can only be used for pickling (acetic acid neutralizes the poison).

Summing up

So, solanine is a complex plant poison found in the nightshade family. The toxin is resistant to temperature effects, therefore, during the heat treatment of products at home, it is not destroyed. For therapeutic purposes, the toxin is not currently used. Only 20 mg of poison is enough to cause symptoms of poisoning. Therefore, you should not listen to the advice of those who like to be treated unconventionally and take it for the sake of an imaginary recovery.

Intoxication often occurs not 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 absorption of solanine. Acid drinks neutralize the poison and, to a certain extent, a weak solution of potassium permanganate, which helps in the treatment of such poisoning. Otherwise, the treatment does not differ from the general algorithm of actions for intoxication.