Dear Gurcharan ji,
Nice photos. The genus *Dioscorea *contain a medicinally important secondary metabolite known as Diosgenin, a steroid sapogenin, is the product of hydrolysis by acids, strong bases, or enzymes of saponins, extracted from the tubers of Dioscorea wild yam, such as the Kokoro<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kokoro_%28vegetable%29>. The sugar-free (aglycone), diosgenin is used for the commercial synthesis of cortisone, pregnenolone, progesterone, and other steroid products. It is present in *Costus speciosus*, *Smilax menispermoidea*, species of * Paris*, *Trigonella*, and *Trillium <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillium>*, and many species of *Dioscorea - D. althaeoides, colletti, futschauensis, gracillima, hispida, hypoglauca, mexicana*<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diosgenin#cite_note-urlDioscorea_mexicana_information_from_NPGS.2FGRIN-0> *nipponica, panthaica, parviflora, septemloba*, and *zingiberensis*. Diosgenin is the precursor for the semisynthesis of progesterone which in turn was used in early combined oral contraceptive pills. The unmodified steroid has estrogenic activity<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diosgenin#cite_note-pmid15372201-4> and can reduce the level of serum cholesterol. Regards Tanay On Sun, May 16, 2010 at 4:05 PM, Gurcharan Singh <[email protected]> wrote: > Dioscorea oppositifolia L. from Delhi University Botanical Garden, Delhi. > This species grows only in India, but is often confused with Chinese yam D. > polystachya. > > Sans: amlardraka, sarpakhya; Tel: Yellagadda, adairdumpa; Tam: Kavalakodi, > velilai valli; Hindi: Matti Aloo; Mal: Kachil; Mar: Paspoli, gilandru; > Oriya: Pittaloo; Kan: Inasara, nirbatte. > Underground tubers often reaching size of up to 10 kg are cooked as > vegetable. Tubers are ground and applied to swellings also. > > -- > Dr. Gurcharan Singh > Retired Associate Professor > SGTB Khalsa College, University of Delhi, Delhi-110007 > Res: 932 Anand Kunj, Vikas Puri, New Delhi-110018. > Phone: 011-25518297 Mob: 9810359089 > http://people.du.ac.in/~singhg45/ > > -- Tanay Bose +91(033) 25550676 (Resi) 9830439691(Mobile) 9674221362 (Mobile) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "efloraofindia" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/indiantreepix?hl=en.
