Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2020 Nov 1:260:118182.
doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2020.118182. Epub 2020 Aug 8.

Diosgenin, a steroidal saponin, and its analogs: Effective therapies against different chronic diseases

Dey Parama  1 , Monikongkona Boruah  2 , Kumari Yachna  1 , Varsha Rana  1 , Kishore Banik  1 , Choudhary Harsha  1 , Krishan Kumar Thakur  1 , Uma Dutta  2 , Aditya Arya  3 , Xinliang Mao  4 , Kwang Seok Ahn  5 , Ajaikumar B Kunnumakkara  6
Affiliations
Review

Diosgenin, a steroidal saponin, and its analogs: Effective therapies against different chronic diseases

Dey Parama et al. Life Sci. .

Abstract

Background: Chronic diseases are a major cause of mortality worldwide, and despite the recent development in treatment modalities, synthetic drugs have continued to show toxic side effects and development of chemoresistance, thereby limiting their application. The use of phytochemicals has gained attention as they show minimal side effects. Diosgenin is one such phytochemical which has gained importance for its efficacy against the life-threatening diseases, such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, nervous system disorders, asthma, arthritis, diabetes, and many more.

Aim: To evaluate the literature available on the potential of diosgenin and its analogs in modulating different molecular targets leading to the prevention and treatment of chronic diseases.

Method: A detailed literature search has been carried out on PubMed for gathering information related to the sources, biosynthesis, physicochemical properties, biological activities, pharmacokinetics, bioavailability and toxicity of diosgenin and its analogs.

Key findings: The literature search resulted in many in vitro, in vivo and clinical trials that reported the efficacy of diosgenin and its analogs in modulating important molecular targets and signaling pathways such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR, JAK/STAT, NF-κB, MAPK, etc., which play a crucial role in the development of most of the diseases. Reports have also revealed the safety of the compound and the adaptation of nanotechnological approaches for enhancing its bioavailability and pharmacokinetic properties.

Significance: Thus, the review summarizes the efficacy of diosgenin and its analogs for developing as a potent drug against several chronic diseases.

Keywords: Analogs; Bioavailability; Cancer; Chronic diseases; Dioscin; Diosgenin; Molecular targets; Pharmacokinetics; Toxicology.

PubMed Disclaimer

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

MeSH terms

-