Dioscorea Plants: A Genus Rich in Vital Nutrapharmaceuticals- A Review

Dioscorea species, known as “Yams,” belong to family Dioscoreaceae. This genus consists ofmore than 600 species distributed from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean’s South America, and theSouth Pacific islands. Their organoleptic properties make them the most widely used carbohydratefood and dietary supplements. The underground and/or aerial tubers represent valuable sourcesof proteins, fats, and vitamins for millions of people in West Africa. This review gives a shot ofsecondary metabolites of Dioscorea plants, including steroids, clerodane diterpenes, quinones,cyanidins, phenolics, diarylheptanoids, and nitrogen-containing compounds. This review collectedthe evidence on biological properties of description Dioscorea, including in-vitro and in-vivo studies.Dioscorea species contain promising bioactive molecules i.e. diosgenin that support their differentbiological properties, including antioxidant, hypoglycaemic, hypolipidemic, anti- antimicrobial,inflammatory, antiproliferative, androgenic, estrogenic, and contraceptive drugs. Indeed, besides itsnutrient values, Dioscorea is a potential source of bioactive substances of interest in the prevention/treatment of several diseases, and thus represents a great challenge in developing countries.However, ethnomedicinal potential should be validated and further researches on pharmacologicalproperties and phytochemical composition should be carried out. Particularly, doing some studiesto convert the preclinical results to clinical efficacy should be guaranteed.