title: Diosgenin: Recent Highlights on Pharmacology and Analytical Methodology.
abstract: Diosgenin, a steroidal sapogenin, occurs abundantly in plants such asDioscorea alata,Smilax China,andTrigonella foenum graecum. This bioactive phytochemical not only is used as an important starting material for the preparation of several steroidal drugs in the pharmaceutical industry, but has revealed also high potential and interest in the treatment of various types of disorders such as cancer, hypercholesterolemia, inflammation, and several types of infections. Due to its pharmacological and industrial importance, several extraction and analytical procedures have been developed and applied over the years to isolate, detect, and quantify diosgenin, not only in its natural sources and pharmaceutical compositions, but also in animal matrices for pharmacodynamic, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological studies. Within these, HPLC technique coupled to different detectors is the most commonly analytical procedure described for this compound. However, other alternative methods were also published. Thus, the present review aims to provide collective information on the most recent pharmacological data on diosgenin and on the most relevant analytical techniques used to isolate, detect, and quantify this compound as well.
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
authors.forename: Mafalda
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-3332-7280
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jesus
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
authors.forename: Ana P J
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-6752-494X
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal; Laboratório de Fármaco-Toxicologia, UBIMedical, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal.
authors.forename: Eugenia
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-1802-8998
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Gallardo
authors.affiliation: CICS-UBI, Health Sciences Research Centre, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal; Laboratório de Fármaco-Toxicologia, UBIMedical, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal; Center for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC), University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4297-5108
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Silvestre