Industrial uses and sustainable supply ofQuillaja saponaria (Rosaceae) saponins

The bark of the tree Quillaja saponaria, indigenous to Chile, is one of the major sources of industrially used triterpenoid saponins. For decades quillaja extracts have been used as foaming agents in beverages, emulsifiers in foods, wetting agent in photography, etc. Overexploitation of the bark has caused important ecological damage and a shortage of this resource. However, this can still be remedied by using whole quillaja wood (and not just the bark), for the production of saponins. This raw material can be obtained in large quantities from pruning operations, reducing the need to fell trees. This review covers ecological aspects of quillaja exploitation, as well as a discussion of its novel industrial applications.