Saponins sources

The second saponin source of commercial value is Quillaya saponaria, found in the arid areas of Chile. The bark of the tree is the part used and has been used as shampoo in Chile for hundreds of years. Yucca and quillaya extracts are commonly used as foaming agents for beverages such as root beer (6-7 fluid ounces of yucca and 3.5 ounces of quillaya per 100 gallons of syrup). These have also been used in other soft dinks (1-2 fluid ounces per 100 gallons of syrup) and cocktail mixes. These phytochemicals have also commercial applications such as ore separation in industrial and mining operations, and are useful as components in products such as photographic emulsions, cosmetics and shampoos. 

Sapogenins and Saponins. Steroids isolated from a variety of plant sources that contain a spiroketal between hydroxyl moieties at C16 and C26 and a carbonyl at C22 are called sapogenins (33). 

HPLC/PDA/MS has also been used to compare the saponin profiles in multiple cultivars of alfalfa and M. truncatula. Comparative profiles are provided (Fig.3.8). It is interesting that these closely related legumes yielded different saponin profiles. The saponin profile of M. truncatula is more complex than alfalfa and may provide a richer source for mining putative pharmaceuticals. 

Figure 3.8 Comparative saponin profiles for two cultivars of alfalfa and one cultivar of M. truncatula obtained by reverse-phase HPLC/PDA/MS using electrospray ionization and an ion trap mass spectrometer. The profiles illustrate the increased complexity of saponins in M. truncatula and offer a richer source for bio-prospecting of natural products.

Astragalus genus is one of the richest source of cycloartane saponins. Oleanane type saponins are also found in Astragalus sp., but their occurrence is limited to structures common to Leguminosae. Fig (3) shows the naturally occurring cycloartanes and oleananes which have been isolated from different Astragalus species. 

Saponins for beverage use are sourced from quillaia bark (Quillaia saponaria Molina) and the yuccas. Of the latter species, two main varieties are used in the United States for production of the water extract the Mohave yucca (Yucca mohavensis) and the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia). At the levels used these additives are colourless and tasteless the dried extract, however, possesses an acrid, astringent taste. Permitted limits are quoted in terms of the dry weight of the extract. In the European Union, subject to Directive 95/2/EC, quillaia is permitted only in non-alcoholic drinks, to a maximum level of 200 mg/1. 

About 600 species of Dioscorea (Dioscoreaceae) are known, and a number of these are cultivated for their large starchy tubers, commonly called yams, which are an important food crop in many parts of the world. Important edible species are Dioscorea alata and D. esculenta (S E Asia), D. rotundata and D. cayenensis (W Africa) and D. trifida (America). A number of species accumulate quite high levels of saponins in their tubers, which make them bitter and inedible, but these provide suitable sources of steroidal material for drug manufacture. 

Table 4. Effects of feeding of carbon and nitrogen sources on cell growth and the content (C), production (Pn) and productivity (Pv) of ginseng saponin and polysaccharide. The cell culture in a modified MS medium was taken as a control. Cases 1,2 and 3 Sucrose was fed beginning from day 15,18 and 20, while its level was kept below 20,10 and 20 gH, respectively. Cases 4,5 and 6 Feeding of 20 mM nitrate, 10 mM nitrate plus 10 mM ammonium, and 20 mM ammonium on day 15, respectively, where sugar addition was the same as in case 1...

Compounds with different structures but with the same therapeutic activity isolated from different plant species act as active moieties for the treatment of particular diseases. Some of these compounds have been abandoned due to toxicity but these compounds apparently do not cause serious adverse effects. Some of these active principles originate from edible plants and their inclusion in the diet would undoubtedly be of some value because of their hypocholesterolemic potential. Several phytoconstituents including inulin, pectin, gugglu lipids, flavonoids, ginkoloids, saponins, tannins, and others obtained from various plant sources have proven hypolipidemic potentials as has been further explained in Tables I and II. The chemical structures of a few potential phytoconstituents with hypolipidemic activity are shown in Figure 2. It is hoped that as new additions are made to the list of these active compounds causing only minimum untoward side effects, these naturally... 

Fenugreek is a rich source of various phytochemicals, especially the steroidal saponins. 

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