Extraction principle of terpenoid saponins

The raw material is first extracted with ethanol or methanol as a solvent, the solvent is recovered and the residue is dissolved in water, the insoluble material is filtered off, and then organic solvents such as petroleum ether, benzene or ether to do two-phase extraction. Saponin is not soluble in these lipophilic solvents, stay dissolved in water, and oil, pigment and other lipophilic impurities to dissolve in lipophilic solvents, and saponin separation. After removing these impurities political stop butanol as a solvent to continue to do two-phase extraction from aqueous solution, the saponin to dissolve in n-butanol solution, some hydrophilic pigments, sugars and other impurities remain in the water and the separation of saponins, collection of n-butanol under reduced pressure steam, that is, to get the total soap test.

Saponin, is a glycoside for triterpene or spiral steroidal compounds of a class of glycosides, mainly distributed in land plants, but also a small number of marine organisms such as starfish and sea cucumbers. The main active ingredients of many Chinese herbs such as ginseng, Yuanzhi, Platycodon grandiflorum, licorice, Zhimu and Chaihu contain saponins. Some saponins also have antibacterial activity or antipyretic, sedative, anticancer and other valuable biological activities.