Mystery Plant--strikes yet again

[John Nelson]

Wed 23 Jul 935am

Friends:

    I have been asked to identify a plant which is apparently an
active ingredient in a dietary supplement advertised as a "miraculous
treatment breakthrough" for arthritis.

    The plant is referred to as "Saponin Shidigera" on the label of
the vial in which the miraculous substance is sold. The vial I have
been sent contains a dark oily-looking liquid which smells something
like soy sauce.

    I don't have a clue. Has anybody heard of this?

    Thanks, John Nelson, USCH


John B. Nelson
Curator of the Herbarium (USCH)
Department of Biological Sciences
University of South Carolina
Columbia SC 29208

nelson at biol.sc.edu
803-777-8196 phone
803-777-4002 fax