Sapindus

Sapindus
	; Sapindus marginatus shrubs
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae;
(unranked):	Angiosperms;
(unranked):	Eudicots;
(unranked):	Rosids;
Order:	Sapindales;
Family:	Sapindaceae;
Genus:	Sapindus; L.
Species
	See text

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Sapindus is a genus of about five to twelve species of shrubs and small trees in the maple family, Sapindaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions in both the Old World and New World. The genus includes both deciduous and evergreen species. Common names include soapberry and soapnut, both names referring to the use of the crushed seeds to make soap.

Sapindus emarginatus leaves in Hyderabad, India.

The leaves are alternate, 15–40 centimetres (5.9–16 in) long, pinnate, with 14-30 leaflets, the terminal leaflet often absent. The flowers form in large panicles, each flower small, creamy white. The fruit, called a soap nut, is a small leathery-skinned drupe 1–2 centimetres (0.39–0.79 in) diameter, yellow ripening blackish, containing one to three seeds.

Soap nuts contain saponins, a natural surfactant. They have been used for washing for thousands of year by various peoples, such as the Native Americans.^[1] Today, soapberries are being considered for commercial use in cosmetics and detergents, among many other products.^[2] Soap nuts, especially are used medically as an expectorant^{[citation needed]}, emetic^{[citation needed]}, contraceptive^{[citation needed]}, and for treatment of excessive salivation^{[citation needed]}, epilepsy^{[citation needed]}, chlorosis^{[citation needed]}, migraines^{[citation needed]}, and diabetes^{[citation needed]}. Studies show that saponin from soap nuts inhibits tumor cell growth^{[citation needed]} and the progression of AIDS^{[citation needed]}.

Sapindus emarginatus soap nut in Hyderabad, India.

Soap nuts are among the list of herbs and minerals in Ayurveda. They are a popular ingredient in Ayurvedic shampoos and cleansers. They are used in Ayurvedic medicine as a treatment for eczema, psoriasis, and for removing freckles. Soap nuts have gentle insecticidal properties and are traditionally used for removing lice from the scalp.

Soap nuts are antimicrobial and are beneficial for septic systems and greywater^{[citation needed]}. Soap nuts are used in the remediation of contaminated soil^{[citation needed]}. They are used by jewelers, especially in India and Indonesia, to remove the tarnish from silver and other precious metals^{[citation needed]}.