POISONOUS PARTS
Fruits.2,4
TOXICITY
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Toxic Constituents
Steroidal alkaloids such as solasonine, solamargine and solanine.2,5,6
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Toxic Dose
20 mg solanine can be toxic.6,7
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Mechanism
Solasonine and solamargine bind to sterols, disrupt cell membrane integrity and cause tissue damage. Solanine has been reported to interfere with cholinesterase function. However, the evidence of cholinergic toxidrome in S. mammosum poisoning is questionable.4,8,9
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Poisoning Features
Nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, dizziness, delirium, slurring of speech and ataxia. Respiratory failure in severe cases.10–12
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Poisoning Events
Poisoning due to Solanum species with steroidal alkaloids are uncommon. Previous cases were mostly a result of ingestion of its berries due to misidentification as edible species, with clinical severity being dose-dependent. Most patients had mild symptoms. In over 200 incidents reported to the Berlin Toxicological Information Centre, ingestion of Black nightshade, a steroidal alkaloid-containing species from the genus Solanum, only resulted in mild symptoms in a few patients.10,12
CLINICAL MANAGEMENT
Supportive treatment.
IDENTIFICATION FEATURES
Stout herbs, up to 1 m tall. Stems and branches hairy and prickly. Leaves simple; leaf blades 5–10 × 4.5–9.5 cm, densely hairy, and prickly along veins on both surfaces. Scorpioid cymes 2–4‑flowered. Corolla violet; limb about 1.8 cm in diameter, deeply 5‑lobed; anthers tapering to a slender subulate apex. Berries 4.5–5.5 cm long, pyriform, with 4–5 papillae at base, yellow when ripe.13
MEDICINAL USES
Fruits used in TCM: clear heat and remove toxin, disperse swelling. For external use only.2
LABORATORY ANALYSIS
Solasonine, solamargine and solanine can be detected by LC-MS/MS.14,15
