C. ten Broeke <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>So what in a nightshade could it be that attracts us and seems to have
>no ill effects?  Eggplants are a definite favourite as well.Acaricide;

There's a lot of different non-ubiquitous compounds in a potato tuber. Here
below is a list of some of their activities. I've extracted the list from a
database. Some activities are really good, some are more or less bad. The
effect depends on the dosage of course:

Acidulant; Aldose-Reductase-Inhibitor; Allelochemic; Allelopathic;
Allergenic; Amnesigenic; Analgesic; Anesthetic; Antiadenoviral;
Antiaggregant; Antialcoholic; Antiallergic; Antiandrogenic; Antianorectic;
Antiarrhythmic; Antiatherosclerotic ; Antibacterial; Antic
ancer (Colon);
Anticancer (Forestomach); Anticancer (Liver); Anticancer (Skin);
Anticarcinogenic; Anticarcinomic; Antichilblain; Anticholinergic;
Anticholinesterase; Anticlastogen; Anticonvulsant; AntiCrohn's;
Antidermatitic; Antidote (pesticides); Antidysmenorrheic; AntiEBV;
Antiedemic; Antielastase; Antiepileptic; Antiescherichic; Antiestrogenic;
Antifeedant; Antigenotoxic; Antifertility; Antiflu; Antigonadotropic;
Antihemolytic; Antihepatoadenomic; Antihepatocarcinogenic; Antihepatotoxic;
Antiherpetic; Antihistaminic; AntiHIV; Antihypercholesterolemic;
Antihyperthyroid; Antiinflammatory; AntiLegionella; Antileukemic;
Antileukotriene; Antimelanogenic; Antimelanomic; Antimitotic;
Antimutagenic; Antimyocarditic; Antineoplastic (Stomach); Antinitrosaminic;
Antioxidant; Antioxidant Synergist; Antiperoxidant; Antiperoxy
nitrite;
Antipolio; Antiproliferant; Antiprostaglandin; Antipsoriac; Antiradicular;
Antirheumatic; Antischizophrenic; Antiseborrheic; Antiseptic;
Antiserotonin; Antispasmodic; Antispermatogenic; Antistaphylococcic;
Antistomatitic; Antisunburn; Antitachycardic; Antitetanic; Antithiamin;
Antithrombic; Antithyroid; Antithyrotoxic; Antitorticollic; Antitubercular;
Antitumor; Antitumor (Colon); Antitumor (Forestomach); Antitumor (Liver):
Antitumor (Skin); Antitumor-Promoter; Antiulcer; Antiulcerogenic;
Antivaccinia; Antiviral; Anxiolytic; Arteriodilator; Astringent; Autotoxic;
Bacteristat; Bronchorelaxant; Bruchiphobe; Calcium-Antagonist; Cancer-
Preventive; Candidicide; Carcinogenic; Cardiac; Cholagogue; Choleretic;
Clastogenic; CNS-Active; CNS-Depressant; CNS-Paralytic; CNS-Stimulant; Co-
carcinogenic; Collagen-Sparing;
 Contraceptive; COX-2-Inhibitor;
Cytoprotective; Cytotoxic; Diaphoretic?; Diuretic; DNA-Active; DNA-
Protective; Embryotoxic; Fatal; FLavor; Fungicide; Hemolytic; Hemopoietic;
Hemostatic; Hepatocarcinogenic; Hepatomegalic; Hepatoprotective;
Hepatotropic; Herbicide; Histamine-Inhibitor; Hydrocholerectic;
Hypocholesterolemic; Hypoglycemic; Hypolipidemic; Immunostimulant;
Insectifuge; Insulinase-Inhibitor; Insulinotonic; Interferonogenic;
Irritant; Juvabional; Larvistat; Laxative?; Leukotriene-Inhibitor;
Lipoxygenase-Inhibitor; Lyase-Inhibitor; Memranolytic; Metal-Chelator;
Molluscicide; Mycobactericide; Myorelaxant; Nematistat; NO-Genic
Ornithine-Decarboxylase-Inhibitor; Oviposition-Stimulant; Perfumery;
Pesticide; Phagocytotic; Preservative; Photoactive; Phytoalexin;
Phytoalexin; Prooxidant; Prostaglandigenic; Prostaglandin-Synthes
is-
Inhibitor; Renotoxic; Sedative; Sialogogue; Sunscreen; Sweetener;
Teratogenic; Tumorigenic; Tyrosinase-Inhibitor; Ubiquiot; Uterosedative;
Varroacide; Vulnerary; Xanthine-Oxidase-Inhibitor. (Dr. Duke's
Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Databases, www.ars-grin.gov/duke/)

Which one of these activities was of interest to my body last time I ate a
couple of potatoes? Which one of them was of interest to you or your son? I
don't know. Antisunburn? Anticancer (Colon)? CNS-Stimulant?

Fredrik