https://www.alamy.com/quillaja-saponaria-image264659486.html

https://www.alamy.com/quillaja-saponaria-image264659365.html

Quillaja saponaria is an endemic tree of Chile, in which the bark of these trees contain saponins that have therapeutic usage as vaccine adjuvants. 1 The demand for Q. saponaria raw harvest in Chile has grown exponentially over the years and the demand is forecasted to grow further. The demand well exceeds the harvest limit enforced by the Chilean government. 2 Thus, successful economic synthesis of Q. saponaria saponins and their derivatives is an important step to overcome the harvest limitation from nature, ensuring constant supply of the compounds for therapeutic usage.

Characteristics of Q. saponaria derived saponin-based adjuvants:

  • Excellent immune stimulators 3
  • Balanced Th1/Th2 cell responses 4
  • Associated with hemolysis and injection site pain 5
  • Unit price is expensive – ranging from $400,000 to $500,000 per gram

References (Put here just in case I lose them)

  1. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4256204
  2. https://www.jstor.org/stable/24826034
  3. http://www.jimmunol.org/content/146/2/431
  4. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines9030222
  5. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0264-410x(01)00142-6