Analysis of Diosgenin Content and Pharmacological Exploration

Trillium govanianum Wall. ex. D. Don is a high value medicinal herb of North-Western Himalayan regions of India having plethora of medicinal properties like Cancer Sexual disorders GI disorders skin infections Anthelmintic etc. The rhizome part of the plant containing trillarin which in hydrolysis yields diosgenin (a corticosteroid hormone) raised its commercial value to pharmaceutical industry. Diosgenin which is a phytoestrogen can be chemically converted into antifertility drugs having their steroidal base such as progesterone corticosteroids and anabolic steroids. Over exploitation of these species necessitates the development of conservation strategies and enhanced production of diosgenin at commercial scale. Book contains protocols for optimization of extraction process for diosgenin from Trillium govanianum which might help pharmaceutical sector for large-scale purification and herbal formulations and also showed promising leads as an effective herbal contraceptive supplemented with anti-cancerous effect.