Abstract
1 Radioimmunoassay methods are described for measuring potentially toxic potato glycoalkaloids and the aglycone solanidine in human serum and saliva.
2 Solanidine and total alkaloid concentrations in serum and saliva during the summer are given for a group of subjects from the UK and a group from Sweden. Serum concentrations ranged from 3.2 to > 125 nmol/l for total alkaloid and 2.5 to 92.5 nmol/l for solanidine and were comparable in the two populations. Salivary total alkaloid concentrations were only about 10% of serum values. Salivary solanidine concentrations did not exceed 20% of the serum levels. Good correlation was found between serum and salivary alkaloid concentrations (r = 0.734, for solanidine; r = 0.892 for total alkaloid).
3 Serum and salivary alkaloid concentrations were significantly raised in a group of Swedish subjects eating potatoes containing unusually high concentrations of alkaloids when compared with those in a group of subjects eating their normal diets.
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