A new study showed Diopower15®, a diosgenin-rich yam extract, was effective in improving cognitive function and decreasing plasma NfL levels in patients with mild cognitive impairment. The study was a placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blind study carried out among 43 participants with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer’s Disease over 24 weeks.
NfL is a subunit of neurofilaments, which are the most important cytoskeletal proteins in myelinated axons. Plasma NfL levels are biomarkers of cognitive decline in patients with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s Disease. In the study, Diopower15® positively affected plasma NfL levels and further analysis found that patients that responded well to the yam extract treatment through NfL levels also showed improvement in the MMSE-J, a screening tool
for cognitive impairment. Subgroup analysis also showed that in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Diopower15® significantly improved the ADAS-Cog Total score and ADASCog Memory score, an assessment used to examine the severity of cognitive symptoms of dementia.
In the study, it was observed that the Aβ42/40 ratio improved in patients with very mild cognitive impairment (vMCI), as well as the ADAS-Cog Praxis score, the neurological process by which cognition directs motor actions. Research has shown that lower Aβ42/40 ratio is associated with greater cognitive decline and increased risk of developing AD dementia.
These results suggest that Diopower15® may improve different cognitive skills such as memory and praxis abilities in patients with very mild and mild cognitive impairment. The study was published in the Phytomedicine Plus Journal on August 8, 2024 under the title, “Diosgenin-rich Yam (rhizome of Dioscorea batatas) extract ameliorates cognitive functions and plasma biomarkers for mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease: A randomized controlled trial.”
The mentioned study is the first study to test Diopower15® on patients with cognitive impairment. A previous human study on Diopower15® was completed in 2017 using healthy adult subjects, with results showing the yam extract improved cognitive function (Tohda et al. 2017). Additionally, previous animal studies have shown the positive effect of diosgenin on facilitating repair of damaged neurons and memory dysfunction in AD mouse models as well as
improving memory function in normal mice.
Diopower15® is a wild yam (Dioscorea opposita) extract with no less than 15% Diosgenin. Diopower comes from a wild yam called Sanyaku, which has been used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine known as Kanpo before 0AD. In addition to improving cognitive function, diosgenin-rich yam may improve the effects of menopause on postmenopausal women and improve aging skin. Diopower15® is distributed by Guzen Development, Inc in the USA. For more information, contact Guzen at (925) 938-2724 or sales@guzendevelopment.com and visit www.guzendevelopment.com.
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