Quillaia is the milled innerbark or small stems and branches of thesoapbark (Quillaja saponaria). Other names includeMurillo bark extract,Panama bark extract,Quillaia extract,Quillay bark extract,Soapbark extract, andQuillajae cortex. Quillaia contains high concentrations ofsaponins that can be increased further by processing. Highly purified saponins from quillaia are used asadjuvants to enhance the effectiveness of vaccines. Other compounds in the crude extract includetannins and otherpolyphenols, andcalcium oxalate.[1]
Quillaia is used in the manufacture offood additives.[1] The extract also is used as ahumectant in baked goods, frozen dairy products, and puddings and as afoaming agent insoft drinks.[1] It is used in agriculture for some "natural"spray adjuvant formulations.[2]
The saponins fromQuillaja saponaria are used in several approvedveterinaryvaccines (e.g.,foot-and-mouth disease vaccines). Initially a crude preparation was used, but more recently purified products have been developed. Two of these (Quil A andMatrix-M) have been shown to be more effective and cause less localirritation.[3][4]
Quil A is still a mixture of more than 25 different saponin molecules. One of them, the saponinQS21, has been investigated for as an adjuvant for human vaccines.[3]
Novavax uses a highly purified quillaja extract as anadjuvant in its veterinary and human vaccines. The adjuvant,Matrix-M, is made at facilities in Sweden and Denmark.[4]
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