Bi Xie - Tokoro - Dioscorea collettii var. hypoglauca

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Bi Xie - Tokoro - Dioscorea collettii var. hypoglauca (Dioscoreaceae), a

Chinese herbal remedy for cancer treatment. Also known as 'poison fish yam'.

 

Would anyone have a picture of this rare plant in its natural state, or as a

preparation herb? Better still does anyone know of traditional formulations

it is used in with good effect ?

 

Many thanks in advance !

 

Sammy.

 

 

Phytomedicine 2002 Sep;9(6):560-5

 

The cytotoxicity of protoneodioscin (NSC-698789), a furostanol saponin from

the rhizomes of Dioscorea collettii var. hypoglauca, against human cancer

cells in vitro.

 

Hu K, Yao X.

 

Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical

Sciences, State University of New York at Buffalo, 14260, USA.

 

Protoneodioscin (NSC-698789) is a furostanol saponin isolated from the

rhizomes of Dioscorea collettii var. hypoglauca (Dioscoreaceae), a Chinese

herbal remedy for cancer treatment. Our studies showed that protoneodioscin

is cytotoxic against most cell lines from leukemia and solid tumors in the

NCI's (National Cancer Institute, USA) anticancer drug screen. Leukemia, CNS

cancer, and prostate cancer are the most sensitive subpanels to

protoneodioscin, while melanoma, ovarian cancer, and renal cancer are less

sensitive. The preliminary animal studies showed that the maximum tolerant

dose of protoneodioscin was 600 mg/kg to mice. Based on an analysis of the

COMPARE software with protoneodioscin as a seed compound, no compounds in

the NCI's database have similar cytotoxicity patterns to those of

protoneodioscin, indicating a potentially novel mechanism of anticancer

action involved.

 

PMID: 12403167 [PubMed - in process]