The Dioscorea hypoglauca rhizome and D. spongiosa rhizome in "China Pharmacopoeia" are often used as Bixie in clinically, with the function of removing dampness, clearing away turbidness and dispelling wind to remove pain, and has been widely used in stranguria marked by chyluria, joint stiffness and rheumatic arthralgia. It has obvious curative effect and broad application prospect. However, in recent years the progress of research is slow for its miscellaneous sources, chaotic varieties and lack of relevant quality assessment. The previous research on Bixie is mainly reflected in the chemical compositions, mainly including steroids, diarylheptanoids and lignans and so on. Among them, steroidal saponins are the main components and the main effective substances for their pharmacological activities. Recent studies have shown that Bixie and its main components have significant effects in anti-trioxypurine, anti-inflammation, analgesia and anti-osteoporosis, and have made great progress, providing an experimental basis for the research and development of clinical drugs. But the specific substance and specific mechanism of its pharmacological action are not clear, and need further exploration. By consulting the relevant literature at home and abroad, the author has summarized the chemical constituents, quality evaluation, pharmacological action of Bixie, hoping to provide a reference for further research, development and utilization of Bixie.
Keywords: Bixie; chemical constituents; pharmacological action; quality evaluation.
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