Khol Matthew, Ma Fanyi, Lei Lijing, Liu Wei, Liu Xiuhua
Henan International Joint Laboratory of Medicinal Plants Utilization, College of Chemistry and Molecular Sciences, Henan University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
Henan Key Laboratory of Natural Medicine Innovation and Transformation, Henan University, Zhengzhou 450046, China.
Foods. 2024 May 7;13(10):1426. doi: 10.3390/foods13101426.
Yams are the edible subterranean rhizomes, or tubers, of plants from the genus . There are approximately 600 species of yam plants in the world, with more than 90 of these growing in East Asia. One particular species, Thunb., is highly praised as "the Chinese yam". This distinction arises from millennia of storied history, both as a nutritional food source and as a principal ingredient in traditional Chinese medicine. Among the many cultivars of Thunb., Huai Shanyao has been widely regarded as the best. This review surveyed the historical background, physiochemical composition, applications as food and medicine, and research prospects for the Chinese yam. Modern science is finally beginning to confirm the remarkable health benefits of this yam plant, long-known to the Chinese people. Chinese yam promises anti-diabetic, anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, anti-hyperlipidemic, anti-hypertensive, anti-cancer, and combination treatment applications, both as a functional food and as medicine.
山药是薯蓣属植物可食用的地下根茎或块茎。世界上约有600种山药植物，其中90多种生长在东亚。一种特殊的品种，薯蓣（Dioscorea opposita Thunb.），被誉为“山药”。这种区别源于数千年的传奇历史，它既是一种营养食物来源，也是传统中药的主要成分。在薯蓣（Dioscorea opposita Thunb.）的众多栽培品种中，怀山药被广泛认为是最好的。本文综述了山药的历史背景、理化成分、食品和医药应用以及研究前景。现代科学终于开始证实这种长期为中国人所熟知的山药植物具有显著的健康益处。山药有望作为功能性食品和药物用于抗糖尿病、抗氧化、抗炎、免疫调节、抗高血脂、抗高血压、抗癌以及联合治疗等方面。
