Sapindus


Sapindus is a genus of about five to twelve species of shrubs and small trees in the Lychee family, Sapindaceae, native to warm temperate to tropical regions of the world. The genus includes both deciduous and evergreen species. Members of the genus are commonly known as soapberries or soapnuts because the fruit pulp is used to make soap. The generic name is derived from the Latin words sapo, meaning "soap", and indicus, meaning "of India".
The leaves are alternate, long, pinnate, with 14-30 leaflets, the terminal leaflet often absent. The flowers form in large panicles, each flower small, creamy white. The fruit is a small leathery-skinned drupe in diameter, yellow ripening blackish, containing one to three seeds.

Uses

The drupes contain saponins, which have surfactant properties, having been used for washing by ancient Asian people and Native Americans.

Folk medicine

Soapnuts have historically been used in folk remedies, but, as the effectiveness of such treatments has not been subjected to scientific scrutiny, there are no confirmed health benefits of using soapnuts to treat any human disease. The soapnut contains saponins, which are under laboratory research for their potential antimicrobial properties.

Insecticide

Sapindus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Endoclita malabaricus. Kernel extracts of soapnut disrupt the activity of enzymes of larvae and pupae and inhibits the growth of the mosquito Aedes aegypti, an important vector of viral diseases.

Dyeing agent

Soapnut is used as a dyeing agent for coloring the yarn of Tussar silk and cotton.

Species

The number of species is disputed between different authors, particularly in North America where between one and three species are accepted.