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Review
. 2023 Jul 10;10(7):450.
doi: 10.3390/vetsci10070450.

A Review of Effect of Saponins on Ruminal Fermentation, Health and Performance of Ruminants

Ahmed E Kholif  1
Affiliations
Review

A Review of Effect of Saponins on Ruminal Fermentation, Health and Performance of Ruminants

Ahmed E Kholif. Vet Sci. .

Abstract

Saponins are steroid, or triterpene glycoside, compounds found in plants and plant products, mainly legumes. However, some plants containing saponins are toxic. Saponins have both positive and negative roles in animal nutrition. Saponins have been shown to act as membrane-permeabilizing, immunostimulant, hypocholesterolaemic, and defaunating agents in the rumen for the manipulation of ruminal fermentation. Moreover, it has been reported that saponins have impair protein digestion in the gut to interact with cholesterol in the cell membrane, cause cell rupture and selective ruminal protozoa elimination, thus improving N-use efficiency and resulting in a probable increase in ruminant animal performance.

Keywords: performance; phytogenics; plants; protozoa; ruminant; saponin.

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Conflict of interest statement

The author declares no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Chemical structures of sapogenins: (a) triterpenoid; (b) steroids; and (c) furostanol.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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