Diosgenin (null)

Diosgenin is a plant-derived steroidal sapogenin found in species such as wild yam (Dioscorea spp.) and fenugreek. It is well-known as a chemical precursor used industrially in the synthesis of steroid hormones, most notably progesterone, cortisone, and estrogen derivatives. While its extracts and derivatives show a range of experimental bioactivities—including anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antithrombotic, and antidiabetic effects—diosgenin itself is not naturally converted into steroid hormones in the human body, and thus cannot serve as a physiological source of estrogen or progesterone. It is not a receptor, enzyme, transporter, or traditional drug target, but rather a key starting compound in pharmaceutical steroid manufacture.

Other names

Wild yam sapogeninPhytosteroid sapogeninDioscorea steroid

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