alpha-Solanine, a naturally occurring steroidal glycoalkaloid in potato sprouts, was found to possess anti-carcinogenic properties, such as inhibiting proliferation and inducing apoptosis of tumor cells. Human intake of high doses of alpha-Solanine has led to acute intoxication, in severe cases coma and death. The ratio of a-solanine to a-chaconine may determine the degree and nature of the glycoalkaloid toxicity in potatoes, as the toxicity of the two alkaloids act synergistically. alpha-Solanine can inhibit cholinesterase, disrupt cell membranes, and cause birth defects. Some studies suggests that the toxic mechanism of solanine is caused by the chemical's interaction with mitochondrial membranes. Experiments show that solanine exposure opens the potassium channels of mitochondria, decreasing their membrane potential. This, in turn, leads to K+ being transported from the mitochondria into the cytoplasm, and this increased concentration of K+ in the cytoplasm triggers cell damage and apoptosis.

Digitonin is a steroidal saponin (saraponin) obtained from the foxglove plant Digitalis purpurea. As a non-ionic detergent Digitonin is commonly used to solubilize membrane-bound proteins. Digitonin forms a complex with its lipophilic terpenoid moiety with cholesterol in the biomembrane; additionally it binds to glycoproteins and glycolipids of the cell membrane with its sugar side chain. This leads to a severe tension of the biomembrane and influences membrane permeability. Digitonin, in combination with secondary metabolites, leads to a stronger inhibition of ABC transporters as when applied alone. Digitonin is used as a clinical reagent for the cholesterol determination. Digitonin mixed in the diet was well tolerated by rats and cynomolgus monkeys (Macaca fascicularis), and prevented the expected rise in plasma cholesterol in monkeys fed a diet containing butter and cholesterol.

Alpha (α)-tomatine (simply tomatine) is the major saponin and occurs naturally in tomatoes, possesses a variety of biological properties including antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory. In additıon, tomatine is also known that it breaks down the cell membrane induces growth inhibition and apoptosis in different cancer cells: myeloid leukemia cells; prostate cancer cells; lung adenocarcinoma cells. However, the mechanisms of α-tomatine actions were not well understood. Nevertheless, was shown, that tomatine inhibited the NF-κB and phosphatidyl-inositol-3-kinase/Akt signaling pathways activation. However, the primary cellular target(s) for α-tomatine and its mechanisms for modulating apoptosis-associated pathways remain to be elucidated. The interaction of α-tomatine with cholesterol and the disruptive effect on the cell membrane may be one of the mechanisms by which α-tomatine induces apoptosis. The formation of complexes of α-tomatine and cholesterol may modulate the responsiveness of cell membrane receptors to growth stimuli and thus decrease the growth of cancer cells. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of α-tomatine, which may be a valuable therapeutic agent in the treatment of inflammation-related diseases was due to the ability of tomatine accelerated the phosphorylation of Akt in macrophages.