Unveiling the Nutraceutical Potential of Yam Dioscorea alata L.: A Comprehensive Review

Dioscorea alata L. (water yam and purple yam) is a traditionally important food and medicinal plant widely used in Asia and the Pacific Islands. It has long been utilized in traditional medicine for treating weakness, inflammation, menstrual disorders, wound healing, and gastrointestinal ailments. The dual role as a dietary and therapeutic resource highlights its ethnopharmacological importance and supports the need for scientific validation. This review evaluates existing knowledge on the nutraceutical potential of D. alata. Recent studies report diverse biological activities, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antidiabetic, anticancer, antihypertensive, cardioprotective, and gut microbiome-modulatory effects. These activities are largely attributed to bioactive compounds such as saponins and anthocyanins. The species shows considerable promise as a functional food and natural therapeutic resource. Moreover, its cultivation and utilization may contribute to food security and public health (SDG 2 and 3). Further, phytochemical and clinical studies are required to fully establish its nutraceutical value.