As insects can be very damaging to world food production, there is a global need for more effective yet environmentally friendly pesticides. European researchers addressed this need through saponins, a class of naturally occurring plant defence compounds.
Plants and insects have interacted for millions of years with the former evolving specialised defence mechanisms against insect feeding strategies. Saponins are such defence compounds with detergent-like properties that can disrupt the cell membranes of herbivory pests, causing cell death.
Further details: Saponins – eco-friendly pesticides