A Polish team led by Adam Mickiewicz University has discovered promising compounds in potatoes for treating cancer. The results of the study are published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology.

In the process of work, the biologically active composition of potatoes and tomatoes was analyzed. As a result, substances called glycoalkaloids were identified there, in particular solanine, chaconine, solasonine, solamargin and tomatine, which are found in crude extracts of plants of the nightshade family. Many plants in this family are toxic due to alkaloids that can be used to kill diseases.

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Glycoalkaloids, for example, can inhibit growth and destroy cancer cells. Tests have shown that these compounds are harmless to humans and do not damage DNA, although they may have some effects on the reproductive system. Solanine has shown to prevent the transformation of certain substances into carcinogens, and also suppressed the spread of metastases and certain types of leukemic cells. Chaconin has been shown to be effective against inflammation and has the potential to treat sepsis. In addition, solamargin, which is mainly found in eggplant, stops the reproduction of liver cancer cells. Solamargin is one of several glycoalkaloids that may be critical as an adjunctive therapy because it targets cancer stem cells, which are thought to play an important role in cancer drug resistance. Tomatine also supports the regulation of the cell cycle in the body, which allows it to destroy tumor cells.

The team emphasizes that further research is needed to determine how the potential of these compounds can be best used in practical medicine.