What is "solanidine"

Solanidine \So*lan"i*dine\, n. [See Solanine.] (Chem.) An alkaloid produced by the decomposition of solanine, as a white crystalline substance having a harsh bitter taste.

n. (context organic compound English) An alkaloid produced by the decomposition of solanine.

Solanidine is a poisonous steroidal alkaloid chemical compound that occurs in plants of the Solanaceae family, such as potato and Solanum americanum. Human ingestion of solanidine also occurs via the consumption of the glycoalkaloids, α-solanine and α-chaconine, present in potatoes. The sugar portion of these glycoalkaloids hydrolyses in the body, leaving the solanidine portion. Solanidine occurs in the blood serum of normal healthy people who eat potato, and serum solanidine levels fall markedly once potato consumption ceases. Solanidine from food is also stored in the human body for prolonged periods of time, and it has been suggested that it could be released during times of metabolic stress with the potential for deleterious consequences. Solandine is responsible for neuromuscular syndromes via cholinesterase inhibition.