Solanine
/ˈsoʊ.lə.niːn/noun
A toxic glycoalkaloid found in nightshade plants, especially potatoes and green parts of tomatoes.
Did you know?Solanine is named after the genus Solanum, the nightshade family that also gave us deadly and medicinal plants, making the word itself a botanical fingerprint of danger.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
solanum
“Nightshade plant”
Modern botanical Latin
Latin
Solanum
“Genus name for nightshades”
19th Century
English
solanine
“Alkaloid extracted from Solanum plants”
Modern English
English
solanine
“Toxic glycoalkaloid found in nightshade plants”