Current perspectives on the Nutrient composition and health benefits of yams (Discorea species)

Yams (Discorea spp) are food security crops which serve as invaluable sources of energy, micronutrients and phytochemicals with numerous health benefits. They show a lot genetic compositional diversity. New biologically active compounds being identified from wild yams. This review focuses on the nutrients, found in yam species their The B group vitamins, vitamin C, pro-vitamin A; copper; manganese; isoflavones; steroidal saponins; alkaloids; terpenes; anthocyanidins different Wild yams such Discorea villosa hispida used ethnomedicine because phytochemical content. Diosgenin, dioscorin, dioscin dihydrodiscorine protodioscin, methyprotodioscin, prosapogenin, epifzelechin, glucopyranoside, phytoestrogen allantoin bioactive that may be valuable anti-cancer, anti-mutagenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-diabetic, anti-ageing lipid lowering hepatoprotective agents. Other claims based traditional uses have not been scientifically substantiated. Dioscorea likely to contain other unidentified secondary metabolites. promoting should identified; modern techniques extract yet use benefits optimized.