Saponins are a class of glycosides in which aglycones are triterpenoids or spiral steranes. They are regarded as common active ingredients and have important nutritional value， such as bacteriostasis， anti-tumor， hypoglycemic， and regulation of intestinal flora. At the same time， saponins also have many limitations， such as hemolysis， organ toxicity， low bioavailability， strong tissue irritation， which greatly limits the application of saponins in functional foods. At present， some methods are used to improve these problems. This paper reviewed the research progress of common plant-derived saponins in recent years. Based on their classification and structural analysis， this paper introduced their physiological activities， limitations of clinical application and solutions， aiming to provide theoretical basis for the application of plant-derived saponins in disease prevention and treatment.