sapogenin

sapogenin

      any of a class of organic compounds occurring in many species of plants as derivatives of the steroid and the triterpenoid groups in the form of their glycosides, the saponins (q.v.). A similar group of steroid compounds, the genins, is present in the venom of toads, not as glycosides but free or combined with nitrogenous compounds.

      Methods of converting the steroid sapogenin diosgenin into progesterone have been developed. An abundant source of diosgenin is a Mexican yam called cabeza de negro, and progesterone made from it is used in producing steroid hormones.

      The toad venoms affect the heart, being lethal to small mammals and frogs. Chemically, they are similar to the sapogenins derived from digitalis. Preparations from toad skin have been used medicinally for centuries in the Orient and were used to treat dropsy in Europe before the introduction of digitalis.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Sapogenin — Sa*pog e*nin, n. [Saponin + gen + in.] (Chem.) A white crystalline substance obtained by the decomposition of saponin. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Sapogenīn — Sapogenīn, s. Saponine …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Sapogenin — Sapogenīn, s. Saponin …   Kleines Konversations-Lexikon

  • Sapogenin — The chemical structure of yamogenin, a sapogenin found in fenugreek Sapogenins are the aglycones, or non saccharide, portions of the family of natural products known as saponins. Sapogenins contain steroid or other triterpene frameworks as their… …   Wikipedia

  • sapogenin — noun Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary saponin + genin (compound formed from another compound) Date: circa 1862 a nonsugar portion of a saponin that is typically obtained by hydrolysis, has either a complex terpenoid or a steroidal… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • sapogenin — noun The steroid constituent of the glycoside saponin …   Wiktionary

  • sapogenin — The aglycon of a saponin; one of a family of steroids of the spirostan type (a 16,22:22,26 diepoxycholestane). * * * sa·po·ge·nin .sap ə jen ən, sə päj ə nən n a nonsugar portion of a saponin that is typically obtained by hydrolysis, has either a …   Medical dictionary

  • Sapogenin — Sa|po|ge|nin [↑ Saponin u. ↑ genin], das; s, e: Sammelbez. für die Aglykone der Saponine, z. B. Digitogenin u. Diosgenin als Steroid S. u. die Amyrine u. Oleanolsäure als Triterpenoid Sapogenine …   Universal-Lexikon

  • sapogenin — sap·o·gen·in …   English syllables

  • sapogenin — ˌsapəˈjenə̇n; səˈpäjənə̇n, ˌnēn noun ( s) Etymology: International Scientific Vocabulary saponin + genin : the nonsugar portion of a saponin obtained by hydrolysis or in a few cases found free in plants and characterized by either a triterp …   Useful english dictionary

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