| Abstract: | Quantitative thin layer chromatography has been used to estimate the saponin content of whole soya beans (Glycine max L. Merrill, cv. Williams) and a number of commercial soya bean products such as protein isolates and lecithin. Saponins were present in all these materials at concentrations ranging from 56 g kg-1 (on a dry weight basis) for whole soya beans to 3 g kg-1 for the protein isolate ?Promine-D’?. Previous estimates indicate a saponin content of whole soya beans of only about 5 g kg-1. It is suggested that this is an underestimate resulting from loss of material during the extraction procedures used in earlier methods of analysis. |
