Digitonin is a glycoside obtained from Digitalis purpurea; the aglycone is digitogenin. Used as a detergent, it effectively water-solubilizes lipids. As such, it has several membrane-related applications in biochemistry, including solubilizing membrane proteins, precipitating cholesterol, and permeabilizing cell membranes.

Digitonin is sometimes confused with the cardiac drug digoxin (sometimes also called digitalis or digitoxin), but has no heart-related effects.

Physical & Chemical Properties

Chemical Formula= C₅₆H₉₂O₂₉
Molecular Weight= 1229.3
Appearance = White to off-white powder
Boiling Point/Melting Point= 230 °C to 240 °C
Specific Rotation= -47 TO -49º (10 g/100 ml 75% Acetic Acid at 25 °C)1
Aggregation number = 60.

Biological Properties

Rat-LD₅₀ : 4 mg/kg body weight