Dioscorea floribunda

Source Dioscorea floribunda, Trigonella foenum graceum. Molecular Formula C23H22O6. 

Harvesting of cultivated plants of Dioscorea floribunda Mart.et Gal. in Bangalore is carried out analogously with the important difference that the whole root system is harvested after 2 years compared to the 3-5 years necessary for wild plants in Mexico. 

Mahato SB, Sahu NP, Pal BC (1978) New Steroidal Saponins from Dioscorea floribunda Structures of Floribundasaponins C, D, E and F. Indian J Chem 16B ... 

Mahato SB, Sahu NP, Ganguly AN (1981) Steroidal Saponins from Dioscorea floribunda-. Structures of Floribundasaponins A and B. Phytochemistry 20 1943... 

Marker s synthesis was initially based on sarsasapogenin as starting material from root extracts of the Mexican sarsaparilla plant (Smilax aristolochiaefolia), and later on diosgenin. Diosgenin is found as the 3-glycoside (dioscin) in numerous Liliaceae and Dioscoreaceae species, and may be extracted with ethanol from the air-dried rhizomes of Dioscorea tokoro, Dioscorea macrostachya, Dioscorea mexicana, Dioscorea floribunda and Dioscorea composita (Barbasco). The extract is evaporated and heated with dilute hydrochloric or sulfuric acid to cleave the glycosidic bond. Subsequently, diosgenin is filtered off and used as such for the synthesis of steroid hormones. 

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