Biogenesis of steroids in solanaceae

The biogenetic pathways leading to the characteristic steroids of the Solanaceae are reviewed. The experimental data from feeding experiments on members of the Solanaceae are described and, where necessary, pertinent experiments on other plants, such as Veratrum spp. are mentioned. The review covers the simple sterols, the steroidal sapogenins and the steroidal alkaloids found in these plants, and their metabolism as well as biosynthesis are considered.