Reflections on 'The biological action of saponins in animal systems: A review'

George Francis, Zohar Kerem, Harinder P.S. Makkar, Klaus Becker

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Saponins are steroid or triterpenoid glycosides, common in a large number of plants and plant products that are important in human and animal nutrition. Several biological effects have been ascribed to saponins. Extensive research has been carried out into the membrane-permeabiUsing, immunostimulant, hypocholesterolaemic and anticarcinogenic properties of saponins and they have also been found to significantly affect growth, feed intake and reproduction in animals. These structurally diverse compounds have also been observed to kill protozoans and molluscs, to be antioxidants, to impair the digestion of protein and the uptake of vitamins and minerals in the gut, to cause hypogiycaemia, and to act as antifungal and antiviral agents. These compounds can thus affect animals in a host of different ways both positive and negative.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1034-1036
Number of pages3
JournalBritish Journal of Nutrition
Volume127
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - 14 Apr 2022

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of The Nutrition Society

Keywords

  • Biological activity
  • Saponins
  • Steroids
  • Triterpcnoids

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