Journal of Ayurvedic and Herbal Medicine 2018; 4(2): 79-85 Review Article Ethnopharmacological Potential and Medicinal Uses of ISSN: 2454-5023 Miracle Herb Dioscorea spp. J. Ayu. Herb. Med. 2018; 4(2): 79-85 Aadil Mustafa1*, Aziz Ahmad2, Aadil Hussain Tantray1, Parvaiz Ahmad Parry1 © 2018, All rights reserved 1 Research Associate at Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mewar University, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan-312901, India. www.ayurvedjournal.com 2 Assistant Professor and Researcher at Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mewar University, Chittorgarh, Received: 01-05-2018 Rajasthan-312901, India. Accepted: 07-07-2018 ABSTRACT Dioscorea a well-known source of Diosgenin-steroid raw material, is one of the oldest tuber crop cultivated or harvested from wild in the tropical region throughout the world and make up one of the chief food items for a number of tribal groups. In India there are about 50 species of dioscorea, mainly found in North-East region which is rich in tropical root and tuber crops. Dioscorea produces rhizomes or bulbils, which are having rich medicinal and economic value. The rhizomes are used for the treatment of different diseases like cardiovascular system disorders, central nervous system disorders, disease of bones and joint metabolic disorder, disgestive disorders, sore throat for struma, diarrhea, irritability, abdominal pain, dysfunctional changes in the female reproductive system, skin diseases, oncology and immune deficiency and autoimmune diseases, anti-diabetes, neuroprotectiveused, decrease oxidative stress and many more disordered conditions. Diosgenin is a precursor for the chemical synthesis of drug like steroids and has a great importance for pharmaceutical industry. Dioscorea contains various bioactive chemical substances like diosgenin, corticosterone, and sigmasterol, which are of great market value. The current study is to appraise the medicinal properties, phytochemicals, and pharmacological activities of Dioscorea. Keywords: Dioscorea, chemical constituents, pharmacological activities. INTRODUCTION Dioscorea species is a climber herb with rhizomatous rootstook. It belongs to the family Dioscoreaceae. The genus Dioscorea belongs to division Monocotyledon comprises 350-400 species. Dioscorea is spread all over the tropics and subtropical regions in the world, 96% production occur in Africa. Other production centers are South America, the Caribbean islands and also found in South East Asia [1]. Dioscorea is a perennial plant, growing up to 3m (10 ft) in height. Rhizomes are ligneous asymmetrical, alternately arranged. Leaves are simple, 5-11.5cm long, 4-10.5cm broad, triangular ovate, often heart-shaped, 7- 9 nerved, long pointed, both sides smooth and glabrous, petiole slender, 5-10cm long. Male flowers in leaves axils, simple or sometimes branched, slender, flexible, 7.5-25cm long. Flowers tiny, secluded in clusters; stamens 6, anthers inferior. Female flowers stalk solitary, slender upto15cm long. Underground rhizomes of Dioscorea commonly known as wild yam. Dioscorea has been observed of very high importance in private agencies as well as pharmaceutical firms, and the plant is mainly collected in India along with Himalaya [2, 3]. Dioscorea is endangered in natural habitats due to illicit use, spread of cities, and over-use by local peoples for trading and domestic purposes [4]. The species (deltoidea) is mainly found in India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Vietnam. In India the plant species are mostly distributed in Kashmir to Assam at altitudes of 550-3100m [5]. In Indian Himalayan regions, it is found in Arunanchal Pradesh, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Jammu and Kashmir, Himanchal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand [1]. This plant is special because its rhizomes contain Diosgenin, which is a phytoestrogen that convert into the hormone progesterone. Diosgenin is a basis for anti-infertility drugs such as contraceptive pills, and sex hormones, such as testosterone and supplements are used by body builders to increase their testosterone levels and build muscle strength. Dioscorea tubers are straight and zinger like shaped. The tubers Of Dioscorea are use in the management *Corresponding author: of a number of diseases such as gastrointestinal disorders, sour throat from struma, diarrhea, irritability, Aadil Mustafa abdominal pain, wounds, burns and anemia. The tubers are also supposed to possess activities like Research Associate at Faculty of antimicrobial, antioxidant, stomachic and hypoglycemic activities [6]. Besides it, Dioscorea is used extensively Pharmaceutical Sciences, Mewar in the treatment of dysentery, piles and chronic liver pain disease [7]. University, Chittorgarh, Rajasthan-312901, India. Email: aadilbhat409[at]gmail.com 79 Classification Pharmacological Activity ➢ KINGDOM: Plantae Anticancer Activity ➢ PHYLUM: Tracheophyta ➢ ORDER: Dioscoreales The treatment of cancer from steroidal compounds is becoming an ➢ CLASS: Spermatopsida, Mangolipsida, Monocotyledons attractive choice for medicinal chemists and many active molecules have ➢ FAMILY: Dioscoreaceae shown this activity [20, 21]. Diosgenin is also investigated to show ➢ GENUS: Dioscorea chemopreventive/therapeutic effect against cancers of several organs, ➢ SPECIES: D. Deltoidea, D. Bulbifera, L. D. alata. and this has established the high importance of this molecule as a potential antitumor agent [22, 23]. Diosgenin has been tested for anticancer effect in various tumoural cell lines and it was found that the anticancer activity depends on the cell type and on concentration. Thus, diosgenin has antiproliferative activity, for various cancers namely, in prostate cancer (PC-3 and DU-145 cells) [24]. (Colon carcinoma (HCT-116 and HT-29 cells), erythroleukemia (HEL cells), squamous carcinoma (A431, Hep2, and RPMI 2650 cells), hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2 and HCC cells) [21, 25, 26] gastric cancer (BGC-823 cells), lung cancer (A549 cells) [27] breast cancer (MCF-7), and human chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) (K562 cells) [28]. Regarding mechanism of action, many studies report that diosgenin is associated with a change of several cell signalling events which are necessary for cell growth/proliferation, differentiation, epithelial-mesenchymal transition migration, and apoptosis, as well as oncogenesis and angiogenesis [30]. Within the various phases of tumorigenesis, Diosgenin is believed to induce apoptotic cell death in various stages of tumorigenesis and thus avoiding their malignant transformation [29, 22, 30]. The antitumor effects of diosgenin have been demonstrated, to occur through p53 activation, immune-modulation, cell cycle arrest, modulation of caspase-3 activity, and activation of the transcription STAT3 signalling pathway [21, 23, 25]. Regarding this Figure 1: Some common Dioscorea species. (1) Leaves of D. pentaphylla (2) D. perspective, studies have revealed that diosgenin inhibits the bulbifera Tubers (3) D. puber Tubers (4) Unequal round winged shaped Seeds of production of osteosarcoma cells through the induction of apoptosis Dioscorea deltoidea (5) Leaves of D. puber (6) Tuber of different Dioscorea spp. and cell cycle arrest in G1 phase [31] and also inhibits the spread of breast (7) D. oppositifolia Flowers, (8) D. hispida Flowers and (9) D. alata. cancer cells (MCF-7 cells) by inducing the proapoptotic p53 protein and an improve in caspase-3 levels [21, 32]. Besides it, the propagation of PC-3 Chemical constituents human prostate cancer cells is repressed by diosgenin in a depending on the dose. Diosgenin also shows antimetastatic effect by decreasing the Dioscorea rhizomes contain 75% of starch. They are non-edible, due to cell migration and incursion by diminishing matrix metalloproteinase their very bitter taste. The main constituents of dioscorea are diosgenin, expression [24]. Diosgenin is studied to have antioxidant activity, due to a steroidal sapogenin (4 to 6%) and its glycosides, Smilagenin and β- which it constitutes an interesting approach for lung cancer therapy [27, isomer yammogenin. Rhizomes also contain an enzyme sapogenase. 33]. The diosgenin-induced apoptosis of human erythroleukemia cell line Tubers are also rich in glycosides, and phenolic compounds. Diosgenin is was associated with increase in number of receptors of Cyclooxygenase- the hydrolytic product of saponin-dioscin [8]. Dioscin is made of two 2 [34]. molecules of L-rhamnose and one molecule of D. glucose. Gracillin comprises two molecules of D. glucose and one molecule of L-rhamnose Diosgenin also shows antimetastatic effects in human breast cancer by [9]. Ozo.et al [10] in 1985 reported flavonoid constituents Cyanidin-3- inhibiting the movement of human breast cancer MDA-MB-231 cells, by glucoside and the procyanidin dimmers B-1 and B-3 in Dioscorea alata L. partially decreasing Vav2 protein activity [35]. It has been reported that A report shows that Dioscorea also contains dioscorins which exhibit diosgenin reduces the VEGF expression in PC-3 cells, depending on dose, carbonic anahydrase and trypsin inhibition activities [11]. Other studies signifying this steroid can inhibit angiogenesis by interfering with this report the presence of saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, tannin, and factor [24]. All of the above stated studies have revealed considerably the phenols in Dioscorea belophylla [12]. Also Yoon et al [13] in 2008 reported potential use of diosgenin as a new therapeutic agent against various Allantoin, in Dioscorea rhizomes. types of cancer. Therefore, efforts are being made to use the potential