Quillaja saponaria trees grow naturally and extensively in Chile (Quillaja saponaria Mol.). Its bark contains high quantities of triterpenic saponins. Saponins are natural foaming agents and emulsifiers widely used as: foaming agents in food, beverages and beer; surfactant in cosmetics, mining and photographic industry; additive in agriculture, animal feed and waste treatment; diary products low in cholesterol; adjuvant in animal vaccines.

Quillaja Extracts

Quillaja extracts contain mainly saponins but also polyphenols, tannins, salts and sugars in small quantities.

Quillaja saponins consist on a triterpenic nucleus with two sugar chains. These sugar chains gave saponins an hydrophilic property and the triterpenic nucleus is hydrophobic. For these, it is an anphoter molecule.

This characteristic give saponins the excellent condition as a anionic tensoactive, allowing the reduction of surface tension and the solubilization of hydrophobic products in aqueous solutions or the formation of microemulsions, all these at low concentrations.

Also, quillaja saponins have cellular and humoral immune responses, disruption of cell membranes, formation of saponin - cholesterol complexes, fungicide action and activation of microbial growth, among others.

Quillaja polyphenols and tannins have specific action as nematicide, ammonia and odor binding, etc.

All these characteristics create Quillaja extracts properties and enhance possible uses in various application areas from agriculture to mining markets, vaccine production, food and beverage, cosmetics, photography, etc.

Quillaja saponins are considered safe for human consumption by the FDA (USA), European Union (code E 999), Japan and the Food Codex of the FAO.

---