Quillaja

Scientific Name(s): Quillaja saponaria Molina
Common Name(s): China bark, Murillo bark, Panama bark, Quillaja, Soap tree, Soapbark

Medically reviewed by Drugs.com. Last updated on Aug 23, 2021.

Clinical Overview

Use

No reliable clinical trials support use of quillaja for any indication. Quillaja has been used orally in traditional medicine to relieve cough and bronchitis, and topically to relieve scalp itchiness and dandruff. Reports show that quillaja can depress cardiac and respiratory activity and induce localized irritation and sneezing.

Dosing

There is no clinical evidence supporting specific dosage recommendations for Quillaja saponaria bark.

Contraindications

Contraindications have not yet been identified.

Pregnancy/Lactation

Information regarding safety and efficacy in pregnancy and lactation is lacking.

Interactions

None well documented.

Adverse Reactions

Quillaja is not considered safe for human use. The ingestion of the quillaja bark results in liver damage, gastric pain, diarrhea, hemolysis, respiratory failure, convulsions, and coma.

Toxicology

Quillaja is approved for use in the United States as a natural flavoring or substance in conjunction with flavors. It is likely safe when used in amounts found in food. Quillaja is toxic when ingested orally in large amounts. Severe toxic effects following the ingestion of large doses of the bark include liver damage, gastric pain, diarrhea, hemolysis, respiratory failure, convulsions and coma.

Scientific Family

• Rosaceae

Botany

Quillaja is a large evergreen tree with shiny, thick leaves that grows to 18 m by 6 m.Roner 2010 The generic name is derived from the Chilean word quillean, meaning "to wash," due to the bark’s use as a cleansing aid. It has an acrid, astringent taste. Although quillaja is native to Chile and Peru, it is now widely cultivated in southern California. The inner bark is separated from the cork and collected for commercial use.Leung 1980

History

Quillaja has been used orally in traditional medicine to relieve cough and bronchitis, and topically to relieve scalp itchiness and dandruff. The bark has been used in South America to aid in washing clothes. Quillaja extracts are approved for food use and are used as foaming agents in some carbonated beverages and cocktail mixes, typically in concentrations of approximately 0.01%.Leung 1980 Saponins were first studied in 1925 as an adjuvant to enhance antibody response against diphtheria and tetanus. Currently, they are used as adjuvants in vaccinations.Ragupathi 2011

Chemistry

The first report of isolation of a quillaja saponin was in 1887.van Setten 1996 Quillaja contains about 10% saponins, secondary metabolites containing a triterpene or steroidal nucleus, linked to a sugar.Rocha 2012, van Setten 1996 These consist primarily of glycosides of quillaic acid (quillaja sapogenin [a mixture of acetylated triterpenoid oligoglycosides], hydroxygypsogenin). The bark contains tannin, calcium oxalate, and numerous other components. One study analyzing the phenolic constituents of quillaja wood extracts found that (+)-piscidic acid was the major phenolic compound, representing 75% to 87% w/w of all phenolic compounds identified. Maier 2015

A highly purified saponin, designated QS-21, has been used as an adjuvant to enhance the activity of viral vaccines and is a combination of 2 structural isomers.Ragupathi 201...