Potato Common, Solanum tuberosum

In commercial potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) there are two major glycoalkaloids, a-chaconine and a-solanine, both trisaccharides of the common aglycone solanidine. These two compounds comprise about 95% of the glycoalkaloids in potato tubers. Their hydrolysis products, the p and 7 forms and solanidine, may also be present in relatively insignificant concentrations. The structures of these glycoalkaloids and their hydrolysis products are presented in Figure 6.1. 

Although seeds are the common source of lectin activity, there are reports (some contradictory) of agglutinins occurring in leaves, stems, and roots.77,94 For example, black-locust (Robinia pseudoaccacia) lectin160 was isolated from its bark, potato (Solanum tuberosum) lectin161 from its tubers, and poke-weed (Phytolacca americanum) mitogen162 from its roots. A new class of plant cell-wall and membrane-bound lectins ( /3-lectins ) has been described.116,163,164 A treatise collected several schemes for the purification of lectins.165,1658... 

Common Potato or Irish Potato Solanum tuberosum)... 

Common potato, Solanum tuberosum, 596 Sweet potato, Ipomea batatas, 297 Pumpkin, Cucurbita pepo, 108 Pyrethrum flower. Chrysanthemum cinariaefolium, 293... 

A subgroup of the steroidal saponins are the glycoalkaloids, in which the aglycone is a steroidal alkaloid (contains a nitrogen atom). The most common source of these compounds is the Solanum genus, including the common potato Solanum tuberosum. 

We are now aware of just how complex is the mixture of chemicals present in food. For example, for the common potato (Solanum tuberosum), besides many substances of known nutritional value, about 120 additional substances have been detected, including solanine alkaloids, oxalic acid, arsenic, etc. An additional 228 chemicals have been identified in potatoes roasted in their skins. Naturally occurring chemicals in food have been associated not only with acute toxicity, but also with cancer and other chronic diseases (11). 

Althongh these are not common in cereals, type II resistant starches are highly crystalline native granules, such as those present in raw bananas (Musa acuminata) or potatoes (Solanum tuberosum), and resist digestion in the small intestine. 

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