Saponins, amphiphiles of natural origin with numerous biological activities, are widely used in research, the cosmetic and pharmaceutical industry.

Covering: mid-1980s up to June 2003 This review covers compounds with activity on African trypanosomes (mainly Trypanosoma brucei subsp., T. congolense and T. vivax) isolated from natural sources and is organized according to the structure of the metabolites (alkaloids, phenolic derivatives, quinones, terpenes and other metabolites). The literature from the mid-1980s up to June 2003 is reviewed and 89 references are cited.