Herbs - Plant Constituents - Saponins

This name is derived from the Latin sapo meaning soap, due to the properties of these compounds to froth or lather up when in water solutions. Saponins are one of the most important class of plant chemicals for the pharmaceutical industry as it includes precursors of sex hormones, steroids, and heart drugs.

This is an extremely complex group of chemical compounds that have been divided into steroidal and tri-terpenoid saponins by the pharmacologists, depending on their structural differences. Beth Root, Wild Yam, and Yucca contain saponins of the steroidal group, as they appear to act as precursors of female sex hormones, explaining their usefulness in menopausal complaints. Glycyrrhic acid and glycrrhizin found in Licorice is a good example of a tri-terpenoid saponins, as these express a strengthening effect on the adrenal gland and mimic the activity of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), which is often implicated in many stress-related complaints. Other examples include Blood Root, Figwort, and Primrose.