Phytochemistry, Anthelmintic study of herbaceous aerial part of Kallstroemia pubescens (G. Don) & Review of Novel Effects of Diosgenin: A Plant Derived Steroid

The genus is named after A. Kallstroem who lived in the 18th century. Diosgenin is an aglycone of the steroidal saponin, dioscin in yam and is a principal raw material for the industrial production of steroid drugs. It belongs to triterpene group and is of great interest to the pharmaceutical industry because of its estrogenic effect on the mammary gland. It plays an important role in cholesterol metabolism and it is responsible for morphological and biochemical changes in megakaryocyte cells. Diosgenin is an important steroidal metabolite used as a starting material for the synthesis of steroidal drugs, as it exhibits estrogenic activity. In this, we have focused on the potential effects of diosgenin and its pharmacological properties. Keywords: Kallstroem; Diosgenin; Steroids; Sapogenins; Pharmacology.