Mexican Barbasco: A root beyond contraception
Keywords:
Dioscorea composita, diosgenine, oral contraceptivesAbstract
Dioscorea composita, commonly known as Mexican barbasco, is a plant of immense relevance, mainly because it is the natural source of diosgenin from its roots. This compound is a fundamental precursor in the synthesis of various steroid hormones, such as progesterone, cortisone, estosterone, and estrone. Thanks to the availability of diosgenin, the pharmaceutical industry experienced a revolution, allowing the large-scale production of oral contraceptives, anti-inflammatory treatments, and drugs for various medical conditions. The extraction process, particularly Marker’s degradation, elevated diosgenin to a pillar of modern medicine. However, the intensive collection of the roots of wild plants has generated serious sustainability challenges, driving the search for responsible cultivation methods and biotechnological alternatives.
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