Dioscorea nipponica
Dioscorea nipponica, commonly known as Japanese yam, is a perennial climbing plant valued in traditional East Asian medicine. Renowned for its nutrient-rich tubers, it is frequently utilized to support digestive health, nourish the body, and balance energy. This versatile botanical serves as a vital resource in holistic wellness practices.
- Scientific name: Dioscorea nipponica
- Family: Dioscoreaceae
- Native range: Asia-Temperate
Taxonomical Classification
This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and the phylum Streptophyta, falling under the class Equisetopsida and subclass Magnoliidae. Within the order Dioscoreales, it is classified under the family Dioscoreaceae. Ultimately, it is identified by the genus Dioscorea as the species Dioscorea nipponica.
| Rank | Classification | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae | WCVP |
| Phylum | Streptophyta | WCVP |
| Class | Equisetopsida | WCVP |
| Subclass | Magnoliidae | WCVP |
| Order | Dioscoreales | WCVP |
| Family | Dioscoreaceae | WCVP |
| Genus | Dioscorea | WCVP |
Common Names
This plant, known scientifically as Dioscorea nipponica, is referred to by several different common names depending on the language and region. In Russian, it is called Диоскорея ниппонская, while in Azerbaijani, it is known as Nippon dioskoreyası. In Chinese, both the traditional and simplified forms use the name 穿龙薯蓣 (zh-hans), and in Japanese, it is identified as 穿山龍.| Language | Common Name | Source |
|---|---|---|
| ru | Диоскорея ниппонская | Wikidata |
| az | Nippon dioskoreyası | Wikidata |
| zh | 穿龙薯蓣 | Wikidata |
| ja | 穿山龍 | Wikidata |
| zh-hans | 穿龙薯蓣 | Wikidata |
| zh-cn | 穿龙薯蓣 | Wikidata |
| zh-tw | 穿龍薯蕷 | Wikidata |
| zh | 山常山 | Wikidata |
| zh | 穿山龙 | Wikidata |
| zh | 穿山龙薯蓣 | Wikidata |
Distribution
This plant exhibits a broad geographical distribution spanning across parts of East Asia. In the Russian Far East, its presence is documented within the Amur, Khabarovsk, and Primorye regions. Its range extends significantly into China, where it can be found in the South-Central territories. Additionally, the species is located as far north as Inner Mongolia. Together, these areas define the specific natural habitats where the species thrives.
| Region | Area | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Russian Far East | Amur | WCVP |
| Russian Far East | Khabarovsk | WCVP |
| Russian Far East | Primorye | WCVP |
| China | China South-Central | WCVP |
| China | Inner Mongolia | WCVP |
| China | Manchuria | WCVP |
| China | China North-Central | WCVP |
| China | Qinghai | WCVP |
| China | China Southeast | WCVP |
| Eastern Asia | Japan | WCVP |
Plant Parts
This plant, Dioscorea nipponica, is primarily valued for its underground storage organs which contain its therapeutic compounds. The most significant part used in traditional medicine is the fleshy rhizome, which serves as the plant's main energy reservoir. While some botanical descriptions may refer to the thickened structures as rhizomes in a general sense, the medicinal potency is concentrated within the specific rhizome harvested from the plant. Although it may appear similar to a simple root in structure, these specialized rhizomes are the essential components utilized for their bioactive properties.- Total parts
- 4
- Scientific sources
- 7
| Plant Part | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| rhizomes | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| rhizome | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| root | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| Rhizomes | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Chemicals
Dioscorea nipponica has 17 reported phytochemicals identified across 28 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include dioscin, diosgenin, 2,7-dihydroxy-3,4,6-trimethoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene, diosgenin 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->3)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->4)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->4)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside, diosniponol A.
- Total chemicals
- 17
- Scientific sources
- 28
Most Reported Compounds
| Compound | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| dioscin | 7 | ★★★★☆ |
| diosgenin | 6 | ★★★☆☆ |
| 2,7-dihydroxy-3,4,6-trimethoxy-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diosgenin 3-O-[alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->3)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->4)-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl (1-->4)]-beta-D-glucopyranoside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diosniponol A | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| diosniponol B | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| free fatty acids | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| gracillin | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| parvifloside | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| polysaccharide | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Activities
Dioscorea nipponica has 1 reported activities identified across 1 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Estrogenic.
- Total activities
- 1
- Scientific sources
- 1
Most Reported Activities
| Activity | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Estrogenic | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
Medicinal Uses
Dioscorea nipponica has 14 reported medicinal uses identified across 17 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported uses include asthma, coronary heart disease, arrhythmia, cancer, cardiac diseases.
- Total uses
- 14
- Scientific sources
- 17
Most Reported Uses
| Use | Sources | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| asthma | 3 | ★★☆☆☆ |
| coronary heart disease | 2 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| arrhythmia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cancer | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cardiac diseases | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cardiovascular disease | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cardiovascular diseases | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| cough | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hyperlipidemia | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |
| hypertrophic cardiomyopathy | 1 | ★☆☆☆☆ |