MEDICINES |
This Month's Plant and Phytochemical |
Solanum melongena / Eggplant | |||
Solanum melongena / Eggplant Solanum melongena Eggplant |
Solanum melongena (Eggplant) belongs to the family of Solanaceae, a well-known fruit vegetable plant, probably native to Asia. The genus Solanum consists of several species and the plants belonging to the genus contain numerous phytochemicals including chlorogenic acids, anthocyanins (e.g., delphinidin), steroidal alkaloids (e.g., solamargine, solasonine) and saponins. In traditional medicines, Solanum melongena has been used for treating asthma, urinary disorders and syphilis. This plant is also believed to have cardiotonic, laxative, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities, which likely come from phenolics and polyphenols. In culinary purposes, eggplants have been used for preparing many dishes such as salad, pasta and other, of which delicious recipes are easily available. However, excessive amount of steroidal alkaloids present in eggplant and other plants is not considered desirable. |
Solasodine | |||
Solasodine 414 C27H43NO2 |
Solasodine belongs to a class of steroidal alkaloids, which consist of steroids (e.g., cholestane, pregnane) incorperating nitrogen in their chemical strucutres. The source of nitrogen is believed from L-arginine, which is used for the amination via the substitution on 26-hysroxycholesterol. The second hydroxylation leads into 26-amino-22-hydroxycholesterol, which can be cyclized, yielding a piperidine ring structure. Following 16 beta-hydroxylation, the spiro-structure can be formed via a nucleophilic reaction, leading into 22R (solasodine) and 22S (tomatidine) isomers as well as solanidine (with an indolizidine ring). In the biosynthetic pathway of steroidal alkaloids, there is a close association between steroidal alkaloid synthesis and enzymatic activities of terpenoid biosynthesis. In Solanum and other species, there are several types of steroidal alkaloids; solasodine-type steroidal alkaloids (e.g., solasodine, solasonine), tomatidine-type steroidal alkaloids (e.g, tomatidine, tomatine) and solanidane-type steroidal alkaloids (e.g., solanidine, demissidine, alpha-solanine, alpha-chaconine), and these steroidal alkaloids usually exist in glycosylated forms (e.g., alpha-chaconine, alpha-solanine, tomatine). In Solanum melongena (eggplant), solasodine-type steroidal alkaloids are dominant steroidal alkaloids (e.g., solasodine, solasonine, solamargine). Some of steroidal alkaloids are reported to have acetylcholinesterase inhibitory, positive inotropic and teratogenic activities. |
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