Ingestion of damaged or green potatoes can result in GI and neurological disturbances. Exposure to potato dust has demonstrated a high incidence of work-related respiratory and general symptoms.
Toxicology: The toxicity is related to the presence of the steroidal solanum alkaloids. The solanum glycosides, such as solanine, produce gastrointestinal disturbances including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and hemolytic and hemorrhagic damage to the gastrointestinal tract. Solanine may also cause an exanthemous syndrome which, together with gastrointestinal and neurological symptoms, may be severe enough to be fatal. Solanine is not destroyed in the cooking process. Ingested solanine is relatively less toxic than that administered parenterally. The biological half-life of solanine is 11 hours.
Even though human fatalities due to the consumption of green potatoes have been reported periodically, proof that solanine was the causal agent has not been firmly established. Concentrations of 38 to 45 mg/100 g solanine have been found in potatoes implicated in human fatalities, compared to 3 to 66 mg/100 g in fresh, healthy potatoes. A level of 20 mg/100 g is generally considered the upper limit of safety.
Solanine has been specifically implicated in the development of fetal malformation in livestock. Solasodine is teratogenic in hamsters when given orally; in some experiments in which pregnant hamsters were fed potato extracts, more than one-quarter of the pups exhibited malformations. Other studies have found that neural tube defects in hamsters may be caused by the solanidine triglycosides, alpha-chaconine and high-dose solanine.
The association between the ingestion of blighted potatoes by pregnant women and subsequent fetal deformities in offspring has not been well established, but remains a growing concern. Anencephaly may have been associated with the ingestion of potatoes infected with Phytophora infestans in women in the Congo.
Potatoes also contain contain a variety of compounds that may potentially interfere with biological systems. These include cholinesterase inhibitors, invertase inhibitors and protease inhibitors; all may have evolved as part of a defense mechanism toward invading microbes.
Because potatoes may be high in bacteria and fungi counts, persons exposed to potato dust have demonstrated a high incidence of work-related respiratory and general symptoms; in one survey, 46% of those assessed had respiratory symptoms secondary to exposure to potato dust.
Potatoes may affect glycemic control and insulin levels; therefore, diabetic persons may eat the vegetables as appropriate starch equivalents.
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