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How Chile is Improving the World by Extracting Tons of Quillay Without Harming Forests

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• The quillay is unique to Chile, where, in addition to the extractive industry, it faces drought, invasive species, and wildfires. However, its exploitation will not stop, thanks to saponins.

The quillay business is not new. A component of this tree, endemic to central Chile, has been exported for decades to larger (and more developed) countries, where it is used in various industries that contribute significantly to humanity. This has kept the species under constant threat from the growing industry. But how does it still stand if thousands of tons are exported each year?

The quillay is unique to Chile, where, in addition to the extractive industry, it faces drought, invasive species, and wildfires. However, its exploitation will not stop, thanks to saponins.

It turns out that some plants contain a soapy substance in their leaves or bark. These have different compounds, but those from the quillay are particularly more complex. After studying their properties, various uses were discovered—one of them, for example, is in the pharmaceutical industry.

Saponins are used as adjuvants in vaccines—substances that enhance the immune response to antigens, making antidotes more effective. This molecule from the tree has been used, for instance, in vaccines for shingles, malaria, and coronavirus disease.

But this is not the only industry benefiting from quillay. The market in Chile began appealing to scientific research to find new uses. Seeing the tree was being heavily exploited, they also had to find a way to extract saponins while preserving the species, promoting its growth, and protecting it. How did they do it?

The formula to avoid killing the quillay
In the past, saponins were extracted by felling the quillay or stripping its bark, which ultimately killed the trees. Additionally, it was taken from the sclerophyllous forest, a type of vegetation where trees are crucial to the ecosystem.

Now, those extracting saponins intervene in a way that allows the forest to keep growing healthily instead of dying. As Andrés Gonzalez, CEO of Desert King Chile, explains in an interview with BiobioChile, the company started as a startup extracting saponins in the fifth region and now produces for the mining, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, agricultural, and human and animal food industries worldwide.

Currently, there is a Management Plan authorized by the National Forestry Corporation (CONAF) that allows quillay extraction without harming the sclerophyllous forest. "Now we go tree by tree, identifying which branch or shoot (a root where multiple trunks can grow) has no future or is unhealthy. We prune it, leaving the tree with a much better capacity to keep living," he explains.

"We remove branches with low viability for the tree, and from those branches, we obtain biomass—not necessarily the bark—from which we extract the saponins we need. We’ve seen stressed trees, nearly dying, that after pruning, rejuvenate within two years," González states.

How Chile is improving the world by extracting tons of quillay without harming forests
In total, Desert King extracts about 12,000 tons of quillay annually using this method under CONAF’s jurisdiction. Experts assess the trees' condition, submit a report to the agency, which then verifies the findings before pruning begins.

The branches are then sent to a production plant, where they are transformed into saponins. This process requires science but is quite simple. According to Leandro Padilla, R&D Manager at Desert King, "It’s like making tea."

"The branches go through a chipping process, and these smaller particles are extracted with hot water—no organic solvents. Just like steeping a tea bag, we add water to the quillay chips on a large scale, obtaining an extract similar in color to tea," he explains.

"This extract undergoes several purification stages to remove impurities, allowing us to produce products with varying concentrations of active components—quillay saponins," he adds.

To date, some methods to produce synthetic saponins have been studied to avoid limiting production to Chile and reduce tree extraction. However, due to their complexity, large-scale production is not viable, the scientist notes.

"I’d say it’s not easily achievable. That’s why natural sources will remain the most economically viable option for a long time—and also more environmentally friendly. Synthetic production also has environmental impacts that aren’t always clear," he emphasizes.

Where are saponins being used?
While saponins are exported, there is also a smaller domestic market in Chile. One of the main local uses is in the mining industry for environmental protection.

For example, Desert King patented a product that reduces acid mist from liquid solution pools used in copper purification.

"These are sulfuric acid pools where high-voltage current is applied. The sulfuric acid separates the mineral from the copper, but it bubbles. When the bubbles burst, they release a mist of sulfuric acid microparticles into the air—extremely harmful to people, infrastructure, and causing acid rain and corrosion," explains González.

This quillay product alters the surface tension of the contaminating liquid in copper purification. "So, instead of bursting violently, the bubbles pop without generating mist or spray," he adds.

Another industry using saponins is animal feed—"the most successful," says Andrés. Experts developed a product reducing antibiotic use in salmon, chickens, and pigs, though it’s not widely adopted in Chile.

"In salmon, we reduced antibiotic use by 70% by adding this compound to their feed. This application is highly successful globally—we’ve sold to the U.S., Europe, and Asia for years. But in Chile, it’s considered expensive as they prefer less natural alternatives," González points out.

Other industries include cosmetics (as emulsifiers), human food (for foaming beverages—The Coca-Cola Company is a key client), and agriculture (enhancing plant root growth and health).

Domesticating a tree unique to Chile
Beyond production, Desert King focuses on R&D. Leandro emphasizes, "We study quillay’s properties through biochemistry and botany to understand how it works—this is called species domestication."

"A major effort is developing clonal plantations with our own quillay clones, rich in saponins. We’re not just accessing native forests but researching how to make quillay Chile’s new forestry species—one adapted to local conditions," adds González.

The company, founded in Quilpué, now holds 13 patents at various stages. "This generates knowledge for Chile. Few companies create patents like ours, and we do it here—a model of decentralization, proving science can thrive outside the capital."

According to the CEO, competition in quillay saponin extraction is "brutal," with some firms skipping R&D costs by replicating others’ hard-earned processes.

"I’m unsure if all competitors access native forests legally or harvest biomass correctly. I urge authorities to enforce management plan controls," he suggests.

Finally, he calls for allowing responsible interventions to protect sclerophyllous forests. "Slogans like ‘don’t touch native forests’ are dangerous—when suffering, these forests need proper human intervention to revive."

"For example, our forest doesn’t regenerate by seed naturally. Without assistance, it will age and die. Not acting condemns it," he concludes.

Source:biobiochile.cl