Family

Dioscoreaceae

Genus

Dioscorea

Common Name

yellow ginger

Plant Figure

Description

Dioscorea zingiberensis, commonly known as “yellow ginger” in China, is extensively cultivated as a traditional medicinal crop in the southern region of Shaanxi province in China. Extracts from D. zingiberensis rhizomes have been suggested in Chinese medicine for the treatment of chest pain, coronary heart disease, and hypoglycemic problems. These medicinal effects are mostly attributed to the presence of steroidal saponins in its rhizome tissue, and of which dioscin is the principle active component. A variety of bioactivities, such as anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and bone-protecting properties, have been shown for dioscin.