Grown in Southern Asia soap nuts have been locally recognised across centuries for their natural cleaning abilities owing to their high saponin content. Saponins have enabled derivatives of the soap nut to be used for the therapeutic treatment of a wide variety of ailments, the production household cleaning products and utilisation in horticultural applications.
Although we do not have access to all the research and information about this amazing natural product we have endeavored to identify key articles and pieces for those who wish to know more.
In The Media
- Boing Boing Gadgets - Design Contest Washing Machine Uses Soap Nuts - 29 November 2007
- Cosmetics Design Europe - Soap nut billed as chemical-free detergent alternative - 9 July 2007
- News Target - Revolutionary laundry soap product grows on trees, replaces laundry detergent with eco-friendly solution - 30 May 2007
- Tree Hugger - Soap Nuts: A New Alternative to Wash Clothes - 18 January 2006
In General
- Wikipedia - Saponin
- Wikipedia - Sapindus
- Haryana Online - Ritha
- Soapnut-tree (Sapindus mukorossi, Sapindus emarginatus, Sapindus trifoliatus), Bara rita, Ritha, Phenila, Arishta
In Home Applications
- I Love India - Sapindus Mukorossi
- Soapnut-tree (Sapindus mukorossi, Sapindus emarginatus, Sapindus trifoliatus), Bara rita, Ritha, Phenila, Arishta
In Medicine and Research
- Micellar Characterisation of saponin from Sapindus Mukorossi
- Sperm membrane modulation by Sapindus mukorossi during sperm maturation*
- Traditional use of medicinal plants by the Jaintia tribes in North Cachar Hills district of Assam, northeast India
- Saponin by Ray Sahelian, M.D.
- Effect of plant extracts on methanogenesis and microbial profile of the rumen of buffalo: a brief overview*
In Agriculture and Horticulture
- Investigation of Sapindus Mukorossi Extracts for Repellency, Insecticidal Activity and Plant Growth Regulatory Effect. - PDF file
This research tested the water based extract of the Sapindus Mukorossi for repellency and toxicity to the rice weevil and head lice as well as the effect on development of some crops. - Isolation of saponins from Sapindus mukorossi (Retha) and their effect on germination of seeds of sorghum and pearl millet.
- Piscicidal Plants of Nepal : Checklist, Ethnobotanical Uses and Indigenous Practices
*We have provided these articles for reading reference only. Neither we, nor our supplier, have funded any of the above research. Green & Nutty do not support testing on animals.