Saponaria spines themselves are not toxic. The other parts of the saponaria, such as the fruit, leaves, and bark, contain saponin, a substance that is toxic when dissolved in water. In clinical applications, saponaria is used to treat a variety of ailments such as asthma, bronchodilation, ringworm, frostbite and acute mastitis. In such cases, the use of saponaria is safe, but care needs to be taken with the dosage and the way it is used to avoid side effects. Systemic toxicity may occur if too large a dose is taken or if there is damage to the gastrointestinal mucosa.