Advances in the pharmacological activities and mechanisms of diosgenin

作者:Chen Yan; Tang You-Mei; Yu Su-Lan; Han Yu-Wei; Kou Jun-Ping*; Liu Bao-Lin; Yu Bo-Yang
来源:Chinese Journal of Natural Medicines, 2015, 13(8): 578-587.
DOI:10.1016/s1875-5364(15)30053-4

摘要

Diosgenin, a well-known steroid sapogenin derived from plants, has been used as a starting material for production of steroidal hormones. The present review will summarize published literature concerning pharmacological potential of diosgenin, and the underlying mechanisms of actions. Diosgenin has shown a vast range of pharmacological activities in preclinical studies. It exhibits anticancer, cardiovascular protective, anti-diabetes, neuroprotective, immunomodulatory, estrogenic, and skin protective effects, mainly by inducing apoptosis, suppressing malignant transformation, decreasing oxidative stress, preventing inflammatory events, promoting cellular differentiation/proliferation, and regulating T-cell immune response, etc. It interferes with cell death pathways and their regulators to induce apoptosis. Diosgenin antagonizes tumor metastasis by modulating epithelial-mesenchymal transition and actin cytoskeleton to change cellular motility, suppressing degradation of matrix barrier, and inhibiting angiogenesis. Additionally, diosgenin improves antioxidant status and inhibits lipid peroxidation. Its anti-inflammatory activity is through inhibiting production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, enzymes and adhesion molecules. Furthermore, diosgenin drives cellular growth/differentiation through the estrogen receptor (ER) cascade and transcriptional factor PPAR.. In summary, these mechanistic studies provide a basis for further development of this compound for pharmacotherapy of various diseases.