Saponin production from Quillaja genus species. An insight into its applications and biology

ABSTRACT: Quillaja genus (Quillajaceae family) is endemic to South America, where is represented by two species, Quillaja saponaria and Quillaja brasiliensis. One outstanding characteristic of these forest tree species is their production of saponins, a family of amphipathic glycosides, involved in the defensive response of plants against biotic and abiotic factors. Saponins are metabolites of economic importance due to their chemical and physical properties. Basic and applied research efforts performed during the last decades, mainly on Q. saponaria, have placed these compounds as an important raw material in industrial areas, such as food and beverage, cosmetics, vaccine production, biopesticides, among others. In this review, we summarize information on saponins from Quillaja species during the last years, analyzing current developments by application areas, as well as their chemical composition and properties. We also describe the general advances in revealing saponin biosynthesis pathways, related genes and Quillaja genomes, as well as the conservation status, domestication processes, and perspectives in the context of implementing genetic improvement programs.

摘要：皂皮树属（Quillaja，隶属于Quillajaceae科）为南美特有属，目前已知仅包含2个物种：皂皮树（Quillaja saponaria）与巴西皂皮树（Quillaja brasiliensis）。该林木类群的显著特征之一是能够合成皂苷——一类两亲性糖苷化合物，参与植物抵御生物与非生物因素的防御反应。皂苷因其独特的理化性质，成为兼具重要经济价值的代谢产物。近数十年来针对该属植物（主要为皂皮树）开展的基础与应用研究，已使这类化合物成为食品饮料、化妆品、疫苗生产、生物农药等多个工业领域的关键原料。本综述总结了近年有关皂皮树属植物皂苷的研究资料，从应用领域、化学成分与特性两方面梳理了当前研究进展，同时阐述了皂苷生物合成通路、相关调控基因及皂皮树属基因组的研究突破，并概述了该属植物的保护现状、驯化进程，以及实施遗传改良计划背景下的发展前景。