Meaning of SAPONIN
| Pronunciation: | | 'sapunin
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 WordNet Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | [n] any of various plant glucosides that form soapy lathers when mixed and agitated with water; used in detergents and foaming agents and emulsifiers |
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| | See Also: | | glucoside | |
| Webster's 1913 Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | \Sap"o*nin\, n. [L. sapo, -onis soap: cf. F. saponine.]
(Chem.)
A poisonous glucoside found in many plants, as in the root of
soapwort ({Saponaria}), in the bark of soap bark
({Quillaia}), etc. It is extracted as a white amorphous
powder, which occasions a soapy lather in solution, and
produces a local an[ae]sthesia. Formerly called also
{struthiin}, {quillaiin}, {senegin}, {polygalic acid}, etc.
By extension, any one of a group of related bodies of which
saponin proper is the type.
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| Medical Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | A substance found in soybeans and many other plants. Saponins may help lower cholesterol and may have anticancer effects. |
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| Biology Dictionary |
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| | Definition: | | Any of a group of glycosides produced by plants that foam in water; saponins are used as foaming agents in beverages, as emulsifiers, and in detergents. |
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