13.6.11. Elephant’s foot

♤ Distribution: Throughout the North Western Himalayas.

♤ Uses: Commercial source of Diosgenin (a steroid sapo-genin, is the product of sapogenin, is the product of hydrolysis by acids, strong bases, or enzymes of saponins, extracted from the tubers of Dioscorea wild yam. The sugar-free (aglycone), diosgenin is used for the commercial synthesis of cortisone, pregnenolone, progesterone, and other steroid products).

Do you know?

Sharks give birth to pups in three ways

I. eggs are laid (like birds)

II. eggs hatch inside the mother and then are born III. pups (sharks) grow inside the mother.