Sapindus Mukorossi aka ( soapnut berry ), is one of the most important trees of the tropical and subtropical regions of Asian’s commonly found in the Western Ghats, plains of South India , Nepal and in the Himalayas.
It grows in deep fertile soil and needs lots of water. Soap Nut trees can grow to become large deciduous trees with spreading crown . It helps erosion predominantly in the Himalayan foothills. It produces desirable earnings to the local population.
It is a completely resilient tree as it is defiant to diseases and insects. The tree grows to about 30 to 60 feet in height and starts blooming and bearing fruits after 9 years. The leaves are alternate, long, pinnate with 14 to 30 leaflets, the terminal leaflet often missing. The flowers are small and creamy white. The fruits are small, leathery skinned drupes. The soupbones fruits are round, yellow berries that become reddish tan and crumbled as they ripen. its façade is somewhat like a date.
The drupes ( soapnuts) contain an essence called Sapnonin that produces a soaping effect. Saponin is 100% organic, natural and unmodified, so acts as an alternative to synthetic laundry ingredients and cleansers.
It can substitute many synthetic detergents such as those containing sodium laureth sulphate and does not harm the environment. Soapnuts are being used from ancient times, all over the world as a laundry detergent , as soap for personal hygiene, for cleaning and detoxifying food, natural pesticides in farming, to repel insects off plants and outside the house .
Soapnuts can be used crushed or used in powder form in home gardening and agriculture to repel some insects and pests. Sapindus species are used as food plants by the larvae of some moths and butterflies species. The kernel extracts of soapnut disrupt the activity of enzymes of larvae and pupae, also inhibits the growth of mosquitoes, an important vector of viral disease.
Soapnut is also used as a dyeing agent for coloring of yams of Tussar Silk And Cotton.
Local cultivars collect the soapnut as it falls from the tree. The seed is removed from the shell ( husk ), dried up in the sun using entirely no synthetic processing. No manufacturing process is required in any way for the soapnut to be effectual.
The Trees and the soapberry nut is a sustainable farming and forest produce .The botanic name is resultant from latin words, Sapo ( soap) and Indicus ( Indian ), based upon its high quality of ‘soap’ substance and uniformity.
– Ms Shanthni Balu
