Step 1: Understanding the Question:
This is a question about medicinal forest plants. It asks which part of the plant Dioscorea deltoidea (medicinal yam) contains the active chemical diosgenin.
Detailed Explanation:
• Dioscorea deltoidea is a climbing herb found in the North-Western Himalayas.
• It is prized for its high concentration of a steroid sapogenin called Diosgenin.
• Diosgenin is the starting material for the commercial synthesis of various steroid hormones, including cortisone, progesterone, and testosterone (sex hormones).
• The plant stores its energy and bioactive compounds in underground storage organs known as Tubers (or rhizomes).
• These tubers are harvested, dried, and processed to extract the sapogenins.
• Because of over-exploitation for the pharmaceutical industry, this species is now considered endangered in many parts of its natural range.
Step 2: Final Answer:
The tubers of Dioscorea deltoidea are the source of diosgenin.