Saponin: Role in animal system

Abstract

Saponins are common in a large number of plants and plant products. It is having important role in human and animal nutrition. Saponins have biological role as membrane-permeabilising, immunostimulant and hypocholesterolaemic properties and it has found to have significant affect growth and feed intake in animals. These compounds have been observed to kill protozoans, to impair the protein digestion and the uptake of vitamins and minerals in the gut and to act as hypoglycemic agent. These compounds thus affect animals in both positive and negative ways.