Is Aubergine Toxic?

Ms H

Solanum melongena, eggplant or aubergine belongs to the nightshade family.  Solanine is a glycoalkaloid poison found in potato, tomato, pepper  and aubergine, which can be toxic  in very large doses.

Aubergine is a rich source of dietary fibre, vitamins: vitamin C, vitamin K vitamin B₆, niacin (B₃ ),  thiamine (B₁ ) and folic acid, minerals: potassium, copper, magnesium and manganese. Eggplant holds great amount of antioxidants.

According to its nutritional value it has wide health benefits: anti –cancer, anti-bacterial and antiviral properties. Nasunin, an anthocyanin is linked to inhibiting harmful behaviour of free radicals in the brain. Aubergine is very good for those who are at the risk of osteoporosis. Eggplant benefits your heart health. Generally it is good for your health.

The level of glycoalkaloids in ripe aubergines is normally low however, the unripe fruits, leaves and flowers of the plant can be toxic. Certain people can be allergic to nightshade vegetables so they cannot consume them. If you are not allergic to aubergine always peel it because the solanine is located in the skin. Never eat unripe and uncooked eggplant because they have higher solanine level.

Is the tomato toxic?

Ms H

The tomato plant belongs to the Solanaceae family. The whole of the plant is poisonous, other than fruit, the tomato.  The plant is toxic because it contains poisonous chemicals: solanine, glycoalcaloid tomatine and glycoprotein. Solanine is found in the main parts of the plant, stems, leaves and green fruits.  Yes the green tomato contains solanine and tomatine as it matures it loses them gradually. In the ripe fruit the amount of these chemicals are too small to be considered toxic.

The symptoms of poisoning are the followings; vomiting, diarrhea, increased heart rate, respiratory problems, cardiac arrhythmias and in a fatal case death.

Keep these in your mind, the tomato has great health benefits. It contains carotenoids, lycopene, lutein, vitamin C, vitamin A, vitamin E, potassium and antioxidants. It has its anti-cancer effect. It is important part of a healthy diet.

The conclusion is that you cannot eat the stems, leaves, stems of the fruit or the green tomato in order not to become poisoned but eat the ripe tomato.

Potato plant poisoning

Ms H 

Potato is the number one vegetable crop in the word.  It is an important food whether mashed, roasted, baked or fried.

When people consume potatoes turned green of ones that have grown new sprouts potato poisonousness can occur. If the potatoes are forgotten or start rotting they can also exude toxin fumes.

A glycoalkaloid, solanine poison is found in species such as potato, tomato and aubergine. It can occur naturally in any part of the plant; leaves, fruits, and tubers. Exposure to light, physical damage, and age increase solanine content within the tuber; the highest concentrations occur just underneath the skin. 

So you can see the poison is obtained in the plant but especially in green potatoes and new sprouts. Conclusion is that never eat potatoes that are spoiled or green below the skin. Always throw away the sprouts. 2-5 mg / kg of body weight of glycoalkaloid can cause toxic symptoms, which are usually occur 8 to 12 hours after ingestion, but may occur as rapidly as 10 minutes after eating high-solanine foods. The symptoms are the followings; vomiting, stomach or abdominal pain, headache, fever, slower breathing, delirium, vision change hallucination, and loss of sensation. 3-6mg / kg of body weight of solanine can be fatal.

Be sure to store potatoes somewhere cool, dark and dry with good air circulation. Also, keep them away from onions.