Saponins are compounds in which a sugar framework is bonded to groups containing steroid or triterpene framework. One of the natural sources of these substances is liquorice, which is the root of the plant Glycyrrhiza glabra. They have been used in traditional ayurvedic medicine and in tooth care products. Their main quality which makes them useful in medicine is that they are expectorants; this means that they have the ability to dissolve thick mucus and relieve respiratory troubles. They do so by reacting chemically with the mucus and thinning it. It is thus not a surprising fact that they are included in cough syrups.

Shatavari