Question

Which one of the following is used for preparing a natural hair shampoo in India?
1. Alternanthera philoxeroides
2. Sapindus Mukorossi
3. Chromolaena odorata
4. Sodium Laureth Sulphates

Answer 1

Correct Answer - Option 2 : Sapindus Mukorossi

The correct answer is Sapindus Mukorossi.

• Sapindus Mukorossi and Sapindus Trifoliatus are the main sources for the soapberry that has become famous as the soap nut.
• They are both of the family Sapindaceae and the genus Sapindus.
• The botanical name is resultant from the Latin words, sapo (soap) and indicus (Indian).
• Based upon its high quantity of 'soap' substance and uniformity, the highest quality soap nut is Sapindus Mukorossi, which grows principally in northern India and Nepal.
  • It grows uncultivated in deprived quality soil and helps fights erosion, predominantly in the Himalayan foothills.
    • It also provides desirable earnings to the local population.
• It's a comparatively resilient tree as it is defiant to diseases and insects.
• The trees grow 30 to 60 feet in height and start blossoming and bearing fruit after about 9 years.
  • It blooms with little; white grouped flowers in spring and near the beginning of summer and is harvested once a year throughout the fall season.
• The soapberry fruits (the soap nut) are round, yellow berries that become gooey, reddish tan and crumpled as they ripen.
  • Its facade is somewhat like that of a date.
  • The shells have an essence called saponin that produces a soaping effect. The tree synthesizes its own innate saponin, (soap) which cover the shell of the fruit.
  • Soap nut trees will produce fruit (soap nuts) for about 90 years.
  • Saponin is a 100% organic alternative to synthetic laundry detergents and cleansers.
  • It can substitute many synthetic detergents such as those containing Sodium Laureth Sulphates (SLS) that are turning into famous by consumers for being a skin irritant and wellbeing hazard.
  • Local cultivators and families collect the prized soapberry fruit after it falls from the trees. 

• Alternanthera philoxeroides, commonly referred to as alligator weed, is a native species to the temperate regions of South America, which includes Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay.
  • In the United States, the plant is cultivated as food for lobsters.
  • An extract is used medicinally in India to treat "female diseases".
  • It can be used as a tertiary filtration system for domestic sewage.
• Chromolaena odorata (Family: Asteraceae) synonyms as Eupatorium odoratum is a traditional medicinal plant that is widely used for its wound healing property.
  • In particular, the several parts of this herb have been used to treat wounds, burns, and skin infections.