Sapindus

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

See text

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 have historically been used in folk remedies as an expectorant[3], emetic[4], contraceptive[5], and for treatment of excessive salivation[3], epilepsy[3][6], and to treat chlorosis[3]. The effectiveness of some of these folk-remedy treatments have not been subject to extensive scientific scrutiny. However, modern scientific medical research has investigated the use of soap nuts in treating migraines[6][4]. Investigation of the contraceptive capability of plant saponins have shown some spermicidal capacity for certain extracts.[7][5] While the Sapindus saponins cause less irritation, they are less potent bactericidal agents than modern chemical alternatives. The medical implications of these findings are not clear.[8]


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].

Sapindus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) species including Endoclita malabaricus.

Species

The number of species is disputed between different authors, particularly in North America where between one and three species are accepted.

Western Soapberry berries

[edit] References

  1. ^ Austin, Daniel F.; P. Narodny Honychurch (2004). Florida Ethnobotany. CRC Press. pp. 601-603. ISBN 9780849323324. http://books.google.com/books?id=eS7lX_rC3GEC. 
  2. ^ Stoffels, Karin (September 2008). "Soap Nut Saponins Create Powerful Natural Surfactant". Personal Care Magazine (Jeen International Corporation). http://www.personalcaremagazine.com/Story.aspx?Story=4325. 
  3. ^ a b c d P. C. Maiti; S. Roy; and A. Roy (November 1968), "Chemical investigation of Indian soapnut, Sapindus laurifolius Vahl.", Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences (Birkhäuser Basel) 24 (11): 1091, doi:10.1007/BF02147773, ISSN (Print) 1420-9071 (Online) 1420-682X (Print) 1420-9071 (Online), http://www.springerlink.com/content/x583466412mg2686/, retrieved 16 August 2009 
  4. ^ a b D.K. Arulmozhi; A. Veeranjaneyulu; S.L. Bodhankar; S.K. Arora (17 February 2004), "Pharmacological studies of the aqueous extract of Sapindus trifoliatus on central nervous system: possible antimigraine mechanisms", Journal of Ethnopharmacology (Elsevier Ireland Ltd.) 97 (3): 491-496, 8 February 2005, doi:10.1016/j.jep.2004.12.012, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T8D-4FF9HB5-2&_user=145269&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=982029748&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000012078&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=145269&md5=aa0736b50a31c325ae551b6439ee3b27, retrieved 16 August 2009 
  5. ^ a b S. Garg, G. Doncel, S. Chabra, S.N. Upadhyay and G.P. Talwar, Synergistic spermicidal activity of neem seed extract, reetha saponins and quinine hydrochloride. Contraception 50 (1994), pp. 185–190.
  6. ^ a b D.K. Arulmozhi; A. Veeranjaneyulu; S.L. Bodhankar; S.K. Arora (March 2005), "Effect of Sapindus trifoliatus on hyperalgesic in vivo migraine models", Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research 38 (3): 469-475, doi:10.1590/S0100-879X2005000300019, http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0100-879X2005000300019&script=sci_arttext&tlng=en, retrieved 16 August 2009 
  7. ^ B.S. Setty, V.P. Kamboj and N.M. Khanna, Screening of Indian Plants for biological activity Part. VII. Spermicidal activity of Indian plants. Indian J Exp Biol 15 (1977), pp. 231–232.
  8. ^ P. Ojha; J. P. Maikhuri; G. Gupta (August 2003), "Effect of spermicides on Lactobacillus acidophilus in vitro - nonoxynol-9 vs. Sapindus saponins", Contraception (Elsevier Science Inc.) 68 (2): 135-138, 27 August 2003, doi:10.1016/S0010-7824(03)00138-0, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T5P-49D1VN3-G&_user=145269&_coverDate=08%2F31%2F2003&_rdoc=1&_fmt=full&_orig=search&_cdi=5008&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=982043524&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000012078&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=145269&md5=ff1142c71d22ed3c5039e405e7cc466a, retrieved 16 August 2009 
  9. ^ "Sapindus vitiensis A. Gray". Germplasm Resources Information Network. United States Department of Agriculture. 2007-04-30. http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/taxon.pl?33093. Retrieved 2009-03-23. 

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