About Solanum linnaeanum Hepper & P.-M.L.Jaeger
Solanum linnaeanum Hepper & P.-M.L.Jaeger is a species of nightshade, commonly called devil's apple. In regions where it has been introduced, it is also known as apple of Sodom. The name 'apple of Sodom' is also used for other nightshade species and entirely different plants in other locations, most notably the poisonous milkweed Calotropis procera. This is a poisonous plant that produces tomato-like fruits. It is native to multiple African countries: Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique. It is classified as an invasive species in Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii, Fiji, New Caledonia, other Pacific Islands, the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia, and northern areas of Pakistan. Unripe raw fruits are green and nearly identical in appearance to Thai eggplant; ripe fruits are yellow. In the Ukambani area of eastern Kenya, village children cautiously use the poisonous yellow fruits as footballs during the summer season. Solbec Pharmaceuticals attempted to develop Coramsine, a 1:1 mixture of the alkaloids solamargine and solasonine extracted from Solanum linnaeanum, as a cancer drug. While preliminary clinical trials initially showed promising results, the drug development was ultimately unsuccessful. Solanum linnaeanum may be confused with Solanum cinereum (Narrawa burr) in Australia, the neotropical Solanum capsicoides, or Solanum incanum in Africa.
