Omnia SanaCommon names in 9 European languages →
The complete database record: 2 documented constituents, 4 pharmacological actions, 8 traditional / indicated uses, with 16 cited sources.
Botanical Description
Twining, herbaceous perennial vine with heart-shaped leaves arising from a knotty, woody, cinnamon-brown rhizome ('root'). Small, inconspicuous greenish-yellow flowers are borne on separate male and female plants, followed on female plants by small three-winged seed capsules.[10]
Habitat & Distribution
Native to woodland edges, thickets and fence rows of eastern North America, growing over shrubs and fences in moist, rich soil.[10]
Harvesting
The knotty rhizome is dug in autumn once the aerial vine has died back, then cleaned and dried.
Key Constituents
Diosgenin is an industrial precursor for making steroid hormones in the laboratory, but it is NOT converted into hormones in the human body. Oral bioavailability of diosgenin is low; in animal studies orally administered diosgenin restored skin thickness in ovariectomised mice and lowered blood lipids.
Pharmacological Actions
Antispasmodic / analgesic for menstrual cramps and muscle spasm (antinociceptive in animal models)
Anti-inflammatory for joint and inflammatory pain
Antispasmodic / analgesic for menstrual cramps and muscle spasm (antinociceptive in animal models)
Traditional & Indicated Uses
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
inferred from anticancer action
more plants for cancer (anticancer research) →detailed sources →
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Traditional support for menopausal symptoms (see safety note - it does NOT act as a natural progesterone) - a placebo-controlled crossover RCT of topical wild yam cream found little effect on menopausal symptoms, lipids or hormones
Anti-inflammatory for joint and inflammatory pain
inferred from anti-inflammatory action
Traditional Use & History
Wild yam root has a Native American and Eclectic-medicine history as an antispasmodic remedy for colic, menstrual cramps and rheumatic joint pain (reflected in the old names 'colic root' and 'rheumatism root'); despite a persistent modern myth, its diosgenin content is not converted into progesterone or other hormones in the human body.[10]
Preparations
Safety, Cautions & Contraindications
IMPORTANT myth-bust: wild yam / diosgenin is NOT converted into progesterone or DHEA in the body, so it does not work as a 'natural progesterone' - claims to that effect are incorrect. Consistent with this, a randomized placebo-controlled crossover trial of topical wild yam cream found no significant change in symptoms, serum/salivary progesterone, oestradiol, FSH or lipids.
Generally well tolerated orally (no acute or subchronic toxicity in animal studies); large doses may cause nausea or vomiting. Avoid medicinal doses in pregnancy and breastfeeding and in hormone-sensitive conditions as a precaution.
Harvest Readiness
[15]
External Identifiers
References & Sources
- Depypere, H.T. and Comhaire, F.H (2013) 'Herbal preparations for the menopause: beyond isoflavones and black cohosh', Maturitas, 77(2), pp. 191-194. doi:10.1016/j.maturitas.2013.11.001 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.maturitas.2013.11.001 - Cai, B., Zhang, Y., Wang, Z., Xu, D. et al (2020) 'Therapeutic Potential of Diosgenin and Its Major Derivatives against Neurological Diseases: Recent Advances', Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity, 2020, pp. 3153082. doi:10.1155/2020/3153082 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/3153082 - Raj, P.S., Bergfeld, W.F., Belsito, D.V., Cohen, D.E. et al (2023) 'Safety Assessment of Dioscorea Villosa (Wild Yam) Root Extract as Used in Cosmetics', International Journal of Toxicology, 42(3_suppl), pp. 29S-31S. doi:10.1177/10915818231204230 Traditional / reference
https://doi.org/10.1177/10915818231204230 - Dong, S., Nikolic, D., Simmler, C., Qiu, F., van Breemen, R.B., Soejarto, D.D., Pauli, G.F. and Chen, S (2012) 'Diarylheptanoids from Dioscorea villosa (wild yam)', Journal of Natural Products, 75(12), pp. 2168-2177. doi:10.1021/np300603z Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1021/np300603z - Dong, S., Cai, G., Napolitano, J.G., Nikolic, D., Lankin, D.C., McAlpine, J.B., van Breemen, R.B., Soejarto, D.D., Pauli, G.F. and Chen, S (2013) 'Lipidated steroid saponins from Dioscorea villosa (wild yam)', Fitoterapia, 91, pp. 113-124. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2013.07.018 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2013.07.018 - Wojcikowski, K., Wohlmuth, H., Johnson, D.W. and Gobe, G (2008) 'Dioscorea villosa (wild yam) induces chronic kidney injury via pro-fibrotic pathways', Food and Chemical Toxicology, 46(9), pp. 3122-3131. doi:10.1016/j.fct.2008.06.090 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fct.2008.06.090 - Mazzio, E., Almalki, A., Darling-Reed, S.F. and Soliman, K.F.A (2021) 'Effects of wild yam root (Dioscorea villosa) extract on the gene expression profile of triple-negative breast cancer cells', Cancer Genomics & Proteomics, 18(6), pp. 735-755. doi:10.21873/cgp.20294 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.21873/cgp.20294 - Ali, Z., Smillie, T.J. and Khan, I.A (2013) 'Cholestane steroid glycosides from the rhizomes of Dioscorea villosa (wild yam)', Carbohydrate Research, 370, pp. 86-91. doi:10.1016/j.carres.2012.12.022 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carres.2012.12.022 - Manda, V.K., Avula, B., Ali, Z., Wong, Y., Smillie, T.J., Khan, I.A. and Khan, S.I (2013) 'Characterization of in vitro ADME properties of diosgenin and dioscin from Dioscorea villosa', Planta Medica, 79(15), pp. 1421-1428. doi:10.1055/s-0033-1350699 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0033-1350699 - Lima, C.M., Lima, A.K., Melo, M.G.D., Serafini, M.R., Oliveira, D.L., de Almeida, E.B., Barreto, R.S.S., Nogueira, P.C., Moraes, V.R.S., Oliveira, E.R.A., de Albuquerque, R.L.C., Quintans-Junior, L.J. and Araujo, A.A.S (2013) 'Bioassay-guided evaluation of Dioscorea villosa - an acute and subchronic toxicity, antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory approach', BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. doi:10.1186/1472-6882-13-195 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6882-13-195 - Avula, B., Wang, Y., Wang, M., Ali, Z., Smillie, T.J., Zweigenbaum, J. and Khan, I.A (2014) 'Characterization of steroidal saponins from Dioscorea villosa and D. cayenensis using ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry', Planta Medica, 80(4), pp. 321-329. doi:10.1055/s-0033-1360330 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0033-1360330 - Siddiqui, M.A., Ali, Z., Chittiboyina, A.G. and Khan, I.A (2018) 'Hepatoprotective effect of steroidal glycosides from Dioscorea villosa on hydrogen peroxide-induced hepatotoxicity in HepG2 cells', Frontiers in Pharmacology, 9, pp. 797. doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.00797 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2018.00797 - Hayes, P.Y., Lambert, L.K., Lehmann, R., Penman, K., Kitching, W. and De Voss, J.J (2007) 'Complete 1H and 13C assignments of the four major saponins from Dioscorea villosa (wild yam)', Magnetic Resonance in Chemistry, 45(11), pp. 1001-1005. doi:10.1002/mrc.2071 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1002/mrc.2071 - Okawara, M. and Tokudome, Y. and Todo, H. and Sugibayashi, K. and Hashimoto, F (2013) 'Enhancement of diosgenin distribution in the skin by cyclodextrin complexation following oral administration', Biological & Pharmaceutical Bulletin, 36(1), pp. 36--40. doi:10.1248/bpb.b12-00467 Preclinical
https://doi.org/10.1248/bpb.b12-00467 - Plants For A Future 'Dioscorea villosa (Wild Yam)'. Available at: https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Dioscorea+villosa Traditional / reference
https://pfaf.org/user/Plant.aspx?LatinName=Dioscorea+villosa - Komesaroff, P.A., Black, C.V., Cable, V. and Sudhir, K (2001) 'Effects of wild yam extract on menopausal symptoms, lipids and sex hormones in healthy menopausal women', Climacteric, 4(2), pp. 144--150. doi:10.1080/cmt.4.2.144.150 Randomized trial
https://doi.org/10.1080/cmt.4.2.144.150
Selected studies & references
All 15 studies in the Knowledge Finder →
This profile is assembled automatically from the Omnia Sana plant database, which we curate by hand. How this site is built.