Quillajae cortex

QUILLAIA BARK Quillajae cortex is the bark of Quillaja saponaria, Molina, family Rosaceae, from which the cork is removed. This species is an evergreen tree in Chile (in the valleys of the Cordilleras), Peru and Bolivia. The drug consists of the inner bark which is generally cut before marketing. It has an acrid taste and causes sneezing. The bark contains about 10% of a saponin mixture (Quillaia saponin), which besides its use as an expectorant also has a technical use and as an adjuvant in some vaccines as the saponin potentiates the immunising power of the vaccine. 

Quillajae cortex (1), The saponins (R, 0.05-0.45) react with AS reagent as brown or violet zones (—>A) and give strong hemolytic reactions (->B). 

Kensil CR, Patel U, Lennick M, Marciani D (1991) Separation and charactraization of saponins with adjuvant activity from Quillaja saponaria Molina Cortex. J Immunol 146 431-437... 

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