soapbark

[sohp-bahrk]

noun

1. a Chilean tree, Quillaja saponaria, of the rose family, having evergreen leaves and small, white flowers.

2. the inner bark of this tree, used as a substitute for soap.

soapbark

/ ˈsəʊpˌbɑːk /

noun

1. Also called: quillai. a W South American rosaceous tree, Quillaja saponaria, with undivided evergreen leaves and small white flowers

2. Also called: quillai bark. the inner bark of this tree, formerly used as soap and as a source of saponin

3. any of several trees or shrubs that have a bark similar to this

Word History and Origins

Origin of soapbark¹

First recorded in 1860–65; soap + bark ²

Example Sentences

Osbourn had earlier teased out the many enzymatic steps involved in the soapbark tree's production of natural QS-21.

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Earlier this year, Osbourn and Keasling published the complete 20-step process by which the soapbark tree makes QS-21, reconstituted in tobacco.

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A valuable molecule sourced from the soapbark tree and used as a key ingredient in vaccines, has been replicated in an alternative plant host for the first time, opening unprecedented opportunities for the vaccine industry.

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Professor Anne Osbourn FRS, group leader at the John Innes Centre said: "Our study opens unprecedented opportunities for bioengineering vaccine adjuvants. We can now investigate and improve these compounds to promote the human immune response to vaccines and produce QS-21 in a way which does not depend on extraction from the soapbark tree."

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QS-21, a potent adjuvant, is sourced directly from the bark of the soapbark tree, raising concerns about the environmental sustainability of its supply.

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