Extract of Dioscorea sp. and the medical uses thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a method for treating osteoporosis in a subject in need of such treatment, including administering orally to the subject an effective amount of an extract product of a Dioscorea species capable of promoting proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow cells in the subject, wherein the Dioscorea species is characterized by a randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprint including 14 DNA bands ranging from 428 bp, 452 bp, 537 bp, 602 bp, 723 bp, 817 bp, 934 bp, 1140 bp, 1242 bp, 1478 bp, 1641 bp, 1904 bp, 2151 bp and 2918 bp, respectively, when genomic DNA of the Dioscorea species is amplified with a primer of SEQ ID NO: 9, and the extract product is prepared by a process including the steps of: (a) extracting a tuber of the Dioscorea species using an alcohol-based solvent in the presence of acetic acid; (b) subjecting the resultant product obtained in step (a) to a separating treatment to obtain a soluble fraction; and (c) removing solvent from the soluble fraction obtained in step (b) extract fractions of Dioscorea sp.

1 . A method for treating osteoporosis in a subject in need of such treatment, comprising administering orally to the subject an effective amount of an extract product of a  Dioscorea  species capable of promoting proliferation and differentiation of bone marrow cells in the subject, wherein the  Dioscorea  species is characterized by a randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) fingerprint comprising 14 DNA bands ranging from 428 bp, 452 bp, 537 bp, 602 bp, 723 bp, 817 bp, 934 bp, 1140 bp, 1242 bp, 1478 bp, 1641 bp, 1904 bp, 2151 bp and 2918 bp, respectively, when genomic DNA of the  Dioscorea  species is amplified with a primer of SEQ ID NO: 9, and the extract product is prepared by a process comprising the steps of: 
 (a) extracting a tuber of the  Dioscorea  species using an alcohol-based solvent in the presence of acetic acid;    (b) subjecting the resultant product obtained in step (a) to a separating treatment to obtain a soluble fraction; and    (c) removing solvent from the soluble fraction obtained in step (b).    
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the alcohol-based solvent used in step (a) of the preparation process is a methanol-based solvent, an ethanol-based solvent, or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein step (a) of the preparation process is conducted in the presence of 1% acetic acid.  
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein in step (a) of the preparation process, a 40% methanol solution in the presence of 1% acetic acid is used to extract the tuber of the  Dioscorea  species.  
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein prior to step (a) of the preparation process, the tuber of the  Dioscorea  species is subjected to a preliminary treatment including the steps of: 
 (i) immersing the tuber of the  Dioscorea  species in a 1% acetic acid solution;    (ii) freezing the acetic acid-treated tuber of the  Dioscorea  species; and    (iii) lyophilizing the frozen tuber of the  Dioscorea  species.    
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein in step (b) of the preparation process, the separating treatment is conducted by centrifugation.  
     
     
         7 . An extract product of  Dioscorea  species characterized by a RAPD fingerprint comprising 14 DNA bands ranging from 428 bp, 452 bp, 537 bp, 602 bp, 723 bp, 817 bp, 934 bp, 1140 bp, 1242 bp, 1478 bp, 1641 bp, 1904 bp, 2151 bp and 2918 bp, respectively, when genomic DNA of the  Dioscorea  species is amplified with a primer of SEQ ID NO: 9, and the extract product is prepared by a process comprising the steps of: 
 (a) extracting a tuber of the  Dioscorea  species using an alcohol-based solvent in the presence of acetic acid;    (b) subjecting the resultant product obtained in step (a) to a separating treatment to obtain a soluble fraction; and    (c) removing solvent from the soluble fraction obtained in step (b).    
     
     
         8 . The extract product according to  claim 7 , wherein the alcohol-based solvent used in step (a) of the preparation process is a methanol-based solvent, an ethanol-based solvent, or a mixture thereof.  
     
     
         9 . The extract product according to  claim 7 , wherein step (a) of the preparation process is conducted in the presence of 1% acetic acid.  
     
     
         10 . The extract product according to  claim 7 , wherein in step (a) of the preparation process, a 40% methanol solution in the presence of 1% acetic acid is used to extract the tuber of the  Dioscorea  species.  
     
     
         11 . The extract product according to  claim 7 , wherein prior to step (a) of the preparation process, the tuber of the  Dioscorea  species is subjected to a preliminary treatment including the steps of: 
 (i) immersing the tuber of the  Dioscorea  species in a 1% acetic acid solution;    (ii) freezing the acetic acid-treated tuber of the  Dioscorea  species; and    (iii) lyophilizing the frozen tuber of the  Dioscorea  species.    
     
     
         12 . The extract product according to  claim 7 , wherein in step (b) of the preparation process, the separating treatment is conducted by centrifugation.