Prairie Carnations (Vaccaria hispanica, syn. Saponaria vaccaria) are easy to grow in the Canadian prairies. Before herbicides were common,  Prairie Carnations were wide spread.  Prairie Carnations yield around 1 tonne /acre and are grown for content of finest micro-starch, edible proteins, surfactant saponins, and bio-active peptides.  Prairie Carnations are suitable for conventional or organic field production, and have been grown under certified organic conditions before. 

 

Health Care

The seed is rich in finest micro-starch and is a good source of bidesmoside triterpene saponins. In addition, the grain also contains peptides of medicinal value. The embryo of the carnation seed and the seed hull contain saponins which can be used for vaccine adjuvants. These vaccine adjuvants make up over 90% of vaccines. Companies which develop vaccines always need new adjuvants either for legal or technical reasons. Prairie Carnation saponins have been purified to one single active compound. This purity is a major advantage compared to the only other saponin adjuvant, which is QS-21.  more…

Personal Care

Saponins have a wide range of human health care, therapeutic, cosmetic, and medical applications. They have immune-stimulatory properties, and when combined with steroids such as cholesterol have been investigated extensively as adjuvants for vaccine formulation. more…

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