PHARMACEUTICAL APPLICATIONS OF DIOSGENIN FOCUSING ON THE TREATMENT OF DIABETES MELLITUS: SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL PROSPECT

Abstract

Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is an endocrine disease associated with serious complications such as heart attack, stroke, kidney failure, lower limb amputation, vision loss, and nervous system damage. Diosgenin is a steroidal saponin with wide therapeutic applications. It is used in the treatment of hyperglycemia and hyperlipidemia due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antiproliferative properties. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of diosgenin and its pharmaceutical applications, focusing on the treatment of diabetes. The journal databases ScienceDirect, PubMed, and the Virtual Health Library were used, as well as the technological databases of the European Patent Office (EPO), World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), and the Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property (INPI). The descriptors used were: Diosgenin, Diabetes, Hyperglycemia, Drug Delivery System, Nanotechnology, Nanosystems, Nanocarriers, Nanoparticles, and their associations in English, using the Boolean operators "AND" and "OR." Publications from 2012 to 2025 and patents from the period covered by each database up to July 2025 were selected. Analysis of the findings in the scientific databases demonstrated interest in the action of diosgenin in diabetes and the complications arising from this pathology. Technologically, diosgenin is used in formulations for medical purposes with action in diabetes; however, the number of patents is quite low compared to published articles. The studies with diosgenin are promising, since it has high pharmacological potential, enabling the execution of new research and technological innovations for the treatment of DM. Nanotechnology appears to be a potential way to improve the effectiveness of this saponin.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.56238/sevened2025.037-019