Saponins (Latin "sapon", soap + "-in", one of) are bitter-tasting, usually toxic plant -derived secondary metabolites. They are organic chemicals and have a foamy quality when agitated in water and a high molecular weight.

Jan 11, 2024 · Saponins are found in many plant foods and may affect the absorption of certain nutrients, but experts say you shouldn't cut them out of your diet entirely.

Saponins are one of the most numerous and diverse groups of plant natural products. They serve a range of ecological roles including plant defence against disease and herbivores and possibly as allelopathic agents in competitive interactions between plants.

Saponinen, ook wel zeepstoffen genoemd, is een speciale groep secundaire plantenstoffen die tot de glycosiden behoort. Men vermoedt dat een plant saponinen produceert als bescherming tegen insectenvraat en groei van bacteriën en schimmels.

Saponins are a diverse group of naturally occurring plant secondary metabolites present in a wide range of foods ranging from grains, pulses, and green leaves to sea creatures. They consist of a hydrophilic sugar moiety linked to a lipophilic aglycone, resulting in an amphiphilic nature and unique functional properties.

Saponins are found in many plants and gained their name because like soap, they form a lather when combined with water. Chemically they are based on a Steroid or Triterpene fat-soluble base joined to a water-soluble sugar molecule, creating a detergent that results in the emulsification of fat-soluble molecules in the digestive tract of the body.

Saponins decrease blood lipids, lower cancer risks, and lower blood glucose response. A high saponin diet can be used in the inhibition of dental caries and platelet aggregation, in the treatment of hypercalciuria in humans, and as an antidote against acute lead poisoning.

saponin, any of numerous substances, occurring in plants, that form stable foams with water, including the constituents of digitalis and squill that affect the heart and another group that does not affect the heart. Saponins affecting the heart have been used as arrow and spear poisons by African and South American natives.

The term ‘saponin’ defines a group of natural compounds that consist of an isoprenoidal-derived aglycone, designated genin or sapogenin, covalently linked to one or more sugar moieties. The name is deduced from the Latin word sapo (Engl.: soap) reflecting their wide spread ability to form stable soap-like foams in aqueous solutions.

Eating foods that contain saponins, a group of chemicals found mainly in plants, may help you lower your risk for high cholesterol and cancer and help you control your blood sugar, according to an article published in the "Journal of Medicinal Food" in 2004.