Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Hello experts!!!

I want to know if saponins can be used as a fungicide......Is it possible, since saponins are poisonous??...I was searching for it in the internet but I did not found any answer........plz help me.....I really need to know.....plzzzzz....plzzzzz...... ...

Thanks in advance!

What's poisonous to one organism is not necessary poisonous to another--for example, dogs or cats (I forget which) can survive the bites of some spiders which are very poisonous to humans. So just because the saponins are poisonous to humans do not necessarily mean that they would make good fungicides. It depends on exactly how they work--if they are poisonous to something that humans and fungi have in common, then they might work. So try figuring out exactly how they work and then whether or not humans and fungi have that in common.

Saponins have pesticide properties - weed killers,fungicides, insecticides and bacteriacides. The problems are - isolating, purifying and testing the compounds.

I suggest a simple search using saponins as fungicides as a starting point. There are several papers on this topic.

Matt Mulanax, Ph.D.
Agricultural Consultant

thanks experts!!!

At least I already know that saponins have pesticidal property. I am really happy about it......more power to you!