Abstract

SYNCHRONISED STUDY OF VARIOUS SPECIOUS OF YAM AND THEIR BENEFICIAL OUTCOMES: A REVIEW

Padmaxi Bailpattar*

ABSTRACT

The yam with scientific name dioscorea belonging to the family discoreacea, consist of more than 600 species. It is widely distributed throughout the world. Yam which is known as famine food has many nutrition and medicinal properties. It is recognized as the fourth most important tuber crop after potatoes, cassava and sweet potatoes. It contributes about 10 % of the total root and tubers production around the world. Yam also has non-nutritional components called as bioactive compounds, which offer numerous heath benefits ranging from prevention to treatment of degenerative disease. The pharmaceutical application of diosgenin and dioscorin among other compound isolated from yam, has shown more advancement recently. In this review article we reviewed more than 40 species of yam with their therapeutic, pharmacological and ethno botanical studies. The recent advancement of yam as an active ingredient in formulation has also been reviewed. Most of the species of yam is still undiscovered and underutilized. Here we have also reviewed the species seen in India along with their traditional use and common name.

Keywords: Yam, Dioscorea, Diosgenin, Dioscorin, Pharmaceutical, Pharmacological, Ethno botany.