Merck, 47036-250G-F, Saponin

General description
Saponins are a large family of amphiphilic glycosides of steroids and triterpenes. Saponins are found in many plants and are localized especially in the root, tuber, bark, leaves, seed, and fruit. They are also present in some animals, like sea cucumber.
Application
Glycoside used as a nonionic sufactant and adjuvant in vaccine development.
Saponin has been used:
in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) to block cells for immunocytochemistry and confocal microscopy
to permeabilize cells for measuring total mitochondrial mass
as an internal control to extract saponin Holothuria nobilis Selenka

Biochem/physiol Actions
Saponins are nonionic surfactant that forms oil-in-water emulsions and acts as a protective colloid. They are used for the direct determination of metals in milk by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry.
Saponins exhibit anti-tumor, antimicrobial, and anti-herbivore activity. They may also play a key role in plant defense. Saponins also possess several pharmaceutical properties, like anti-inflammatory, antifungal, antibacterial, anti-parasitic, and antiviral activities. Saponins can regulate rhizosphere bacteria in the soil.