Saponin‐like in vitro characteristics of extracts from selected non‐nutrient wild plant food additives used by Maasai in meat and milk based soups

Twelve plant additives used by the Batemi and Maasai of East Africa in meat and milk based soups were investigated for saponin‐like characteristics and in vitro interactions with cholesterol and cholesterol analogues. Purification of crude extracts by n‐butanol extraction revealed that Albizia anthelmintica, Acacia goetzii, and Myrsine africana had frothing ability, molluscicidal activity, haemolytic activity and TLC activities indicating saponins. They also had significant (p < 0.05) haemolytic activity that was affected by the presence of cholesterol, cholesterol analogues, conjugated and non‐conjugated bile salts (p < 0.05). Methanol, ethyl acetate, aqueous and n‐butanol extracts of A. anthelmintica and methanol, ethyl acetate and aqueous extracts of A. goetzii bound significant amounts of cholesterol solubilized in ethanol (p < 0.05). Thus, saponin‐like compounds are a detectable component of the Maasai diet and extracts likely containing saponins do interact with cholesterol and analogues involved in lipid metabolism that have also been proposed to be involved in in vivo mechanisms of saponin induced hypocholesterolemia. These results suggest that investigation of the use of A. anthelmintica and A. goetzii as dietary additives, the use of herbs in the Maasai diet and the contribution of natural products to the health of people maintaining indigenous diets is worth further investigation.

Key words:

• Albizia anthelmintica
• saponin
• in vitro cholesterol interactions