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Evaluation of
phytonutrients and vitamin contents in a wild yam,
Dioscorea belophylla (Prain) Haines
Poornima G.N. and
Ravishankar Rai V.*
Department
of Studies in Applied Botany and Biotechnology, University
of Mysore, Manasagagotri Mysore-570006 India.
*Corresponding author. E-mail:
rrai33@hotmail.com.
Tel: 9845950155.
Accepted
16 December, 2008 |
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The species studied was found to contain bioactive compounds
comprising saponins (18.46 mg 100-1 g), alkaloids
(0.68 mg 100-1 g), flavonoids (8.84 mg 100-1
g), tannins (4.2×102 mg 100-1 g)
and phenols (2.8×103 mg 100-1 g). This
yam contained vitamins such as ascorbic acid, riboflavin and
thiamin. The importance of these chemical constituents is
discussed with respect to the role of this Dioscorea
species in herbal medicine.
Key
words:
Bioactive compounds, Dioscorea, herbal medicine,
saponin, vitamins. |
