Dioscorea collettii var. hypoglauca. Dioscorea hypoglauca, D. sativa, D. tokoro 荜 薢 Bì xiè, Shan bi xie- "Mountain yam"   Seven lobed yam   Family: Dioscoreaceae  
PART USED: Rhizome- harvested in Spring or Autumn.
Nature: Neutral     FLAVOR: Bitter  CHANNELS: Liver, Stomach, Bladder
FUNCTIONS
GROUP: Diuretic
1. Separates the pure from the turbid- for resolving turbid Damp in the lower Burner.[4]
2. Carminative.[2]
3. Dispersing Wind Damp, relaxes the sinews, and unblocks the connecting channels.[3,4] Expel Wind.[1]
4. Clears Damp Heat from the skin.[4]
INDICATIONS- Can be used for wither deficiency or Damp Heat.[4]
1. Cloudy urine (like rice-porride).[4] Prostatitis.[1,3] Difficulty in urination.[1,3] Urinary infection, muddy urine, chyluria.[2] White vaginal discharge.[2,4] Frequent urination.[3] Feeling of incomplete urination.[3] Kidney or Yang deficiency causing cloudy urine.[3]
2. Wind Dampness or Damp Heat painful obstruction with lower back pain, numbness or stiffness of the lower extremities, or muscle aches.[3,4] Rheumatoid arthritis.[1,2,3] Pain across the loins.[2]
3. Damp Heat skin lesions such as eczema and pustular sores.[4]
CONTRAINDICATIONS: Kidney Yin deficiency.[4]
PATENT COMBINATIONS
COMBINATIONS
PREPARATIONS: Decoction- Dry rhizomes 10-15 g.[1,2,4] 1-16 g.[3] Good quality is long, thin, and yellowish white.

HABITAT: Grows wild on hillsides and shrub thickets.
DESCRIPTION: Perennial vine like herb. Rhizome thick and fleshy, curved or straight cylindrical. Stem; entwining, slender and long. Leaves; alternate, cordate, apexes acute, bases cordate, 7-11 veined longitudinally, with short petioles. Blooms; in summer, stalk axillary, holding yellowish-green or purplish flowers, in a spike infloresence.
References
Inner Path can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.
Constituents
Dioscin, gracillin, dioscoreasapotoxin A, tokoronin, yononin, diosgenin, tokorogenin, yamogenin, yonogenin, kogagenin, igagenin, 25-D-spirosta-3, 5-diene.[1]
References
[1] Chinese Herbal Medicine Materia Medica- Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble- Eastland Press 1986 Seattle Washington ISBN 0-939616-15-7
Research

The cytotoxicity of methyl protoneogracillin (NSC-698793) and gracillin (NSC-698787), two steroidal saponins from the rhizomes of Dioscorea collettii var. hypoglauca, against human cancer cells in vitro.
Hu K1, Yao X.
Author information
Abstract
In our continuous studies of anticancer activity of steroidal saponins from the rhizomes of Dioscorea collettii var. hypoglauca (Dioscoreaceae), methyl protoneogracillin (NSC-698793) and gracillin (NSC-698787) were tested for cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines from leukemia and eight solid tumor diseases. As a result, methyl protoneogracillin was cytotoxic against all the test cell lines with GI(50) < 100 micro M, especially selectively against two leukemia lines (CCRF-CEM and RPMT-8226), one colon cancer line (KM12), two central nervous system (CNS) cancer lines (SF-539 and U251), one melanoma line (M14), one renal cancer line (786-0), one prostate cancer line (DU-145), and one breast cancer line (MDA-MB-435), with GI(50) < or = 2.0 micro M. Leukemia, CNS cancer, and prostate cancer were the most sensitive subpanels, while ovarian cancer was the least sensitive subpanels. The preliminary toxicity studies showed that the maximum tolerant dose was 600 mg/kg for methyl protoneogracillin to mice. Gracillin was cytotoxic against most cell lines with GI(50), TGI and LC(50) at micromolar levels, but no activity against EKVX (non-small cell lung cancer), HT29 (colon cancer), OVCAR-5 (ovarian cancer), and SN12C (renal cancer). Based on structure-activity relationship, C-25 R/S con fi guration was critical for leukemia selectivity between methyl protoneogracillin and methyl protogracillin. F-ring was critical to selectivity between furostanol (methyl protoneogracillin and methyl protogracillin) and spirostanol (gracillin) saponins in this study. By an analysis of COMPARE software, no compounds in the NCI's database had similar mean graphs to those of methyl protoneogracillin and gracillin, respectively, indicating potential novel mechanism(s) of action involved. Put all in together, methyl protoneogracillin has been selected as a potential anticancer candidate for hollow fi ber assay to nude mice, but gracillin will not be pursued due to lack of selectivity against human cancer diseases.
PMID: 12820229 DOI: 10.1002/ptr.1211