A Survey of Australian Solanum Plants for Potentially Useful Sources of Solasodine

Abstract

The contents of solasodine and of solasodine-like alkaloids in samples of 85 native Australian Solanum species were determined. Leaf, stem and fruit of 74, leaf and stem of 7 and leaf only of 4 species were examined. Twenty-nine spp., but particularly S. aviculare, S. laciniatum and S. simile, contained appreciable amounts of solasodine. Tomatidine was isolated from S. dimorphospinum. S. callium contained appreciable quantities of the new alkaloids 25-isosolafloridine and solacallinidine. S. dunalianum, probably introduced into Australia from New Guinea, contained the new alkaloid soladunalinidine and small amounts of tomatidine.