Used primarily in research settings as a precursor for the synthesis of steroid hormones and related pharmaceuticals. It serves as a starting material in the production of certain medicinal compounds due to its structural similarity to human steroids. Also utilized in immunoassay development, where it functions as a hapten to generate antibodies for detecting glycoalkaloids in biological samples. Its presence in plant extracts makes it a marker compound for studying toxicity and metabolic pathways in solanaceous plants. Solanidine is a steroidal alkaloid naturally occurring in Solanaceae plants like potatoes and tomatoes, exhibiting antimicrobial properties and plant defense roles, but it is highly toxic to humans, causing nausea, vomiting, or neurological issues if consumed in unripe plants.