Dioscorea japonica
Dioscorea japonica is part of the plant family called Dioscoreaceae. In Latin, the name of this plant will be as follows: Dioscorea nipponica.
As for the name of the Dioscorea japonica family itself, in Latin it will be: Dioscoreaceae.
Description of Dioscorea japonica
Dioscorea japonica is a dioecious herbaceous perennial vine with climbing stems. The length of such stems will be about four meters, the rhizome is horizontal, it is located close to the soil surface, and its length will be about two to two and a half meters, while the diameter will be two to three centimeters. The rhizome is also endowed with quite a few lateral branches and thin roots, which will be dense and cord-like. The leaves of this plant will be alternate, short-haired, petiolate and broadly ovate in outline. The lower leaves of Dioscorea japonica will be seven-lobed; they are endowed with a large, pointed and elongated blade. The middle leaves will be five- and three-lobed, while the upper leaves have practically no lobes. The flowers of this plant are unisexual, they are small, endowed with a yellowish-green perianth.
Staminate flowers, which develop on male specimens, are also endowed with short pedicels and collected in simple axillary racemes. The pistillate flowers of this plant have an inferior ovary, as well as a short style and three stigmas; such flowers will be collected in simple racemes. The fruits of Dioscorea japonica are three-locular, they are almost sessile broadly elliptical capsules. The seeds are flat and they are endowed with a rather long membranous wing. As for propagation, it can be either vegetative or seed.
Flowering of Dioscorea japonica occurs from July to August, while seed ripening occurs from August to September. Under natural conditions, this plant is found in the southern part of the Russian Far East.
Description of the medicinal properties of Dioscorea japonica
Diosocrea japonica is endowed with very valuable healing properties, and it is recommended to harvest the roots and rhizomes of this plant for medicinal purposes. It is recommended to harvest such raw materials from the end of April until late autumn.
The plant’s valuable healing properties are attributed to the saponins found in its rhizomes, as well as the steroid dioscin, which, upon hydrolysis, breaks down into rhamnose, glucose, and diosgenin. Remarkably, depending on the time of harvest, the diosgenin content can reach over two percent, with higher diosgenin levels observed during budding. Water-soluble saponins are used as a therapeutic and prophylactic agent for various types of atherosclerosis. Polysponin preparations are produced using these substances: for the treatment of atherosclerosis, it is recommended to take one tablet two to three times daily after meals for twenty days. Then, take a ten-day break, then repeat the course for another twenty days, after which it is recommended to take another seven to ten-day break. Three to four cycles of taking this remedy are recommended. It should be noted that, if necessary, a repeat course of treatment should be taken after approximately four to six months. It’s worth noting that not all of this plant’s medicinal properties have been fully studied, so we can expect new uses for Japanese wild yoscorea to emerge soon.
Dioscorea Japonica
