I prepared crude saponins using the following protocol: heat 5g of plant extract in 30 ml of 20% methanol in 4 hrs in a water bath to reduce volume to 15 mls. I added 20 mls diethyl ether to separate organic portion from the aqueous. The organic portion was discarded. I added 15ml butanol to the methanolic fraction to obtain 30ml methanol/n-butanol fraction. The latter was washed with 50 ml 5% Nacl solution and the the aqueous fraction discarded. The methanol/n-butanol fraction obtained was washed for the second time with another 50ml of 5% Nacl and there was no separation into methanol/n-butanol fraction and aqueous fraction. I therefore evaporated both mixture of methanol/n-butanol fraction and aqueous solution to dryness to obtain a crystalline soapy extract. Is my protocol right? What have done wrong here? somebody help me!