Barbasco
Encyclopedia
Barbasco can be:
- A plant (Lonchocarpus urucuLonchocarpus urucuLonchocarpus urucu is part of the Fabaceae family. It is native to the tropical forests of Peru, as well as of Brazil and Guyana, growing from 100 to 1,800 meters above sea level....
) - An evergreen (Jacquinia barbasco)
- An inedible wild Mexican yam (Dioscorea mexicanaDioscorea mexicanaMexican yam or barbasco de placa is a species of yam in the genus Dioscorea. It ranges from the state of Veracruz in Mexico south to Panama. It is notable for its production of diosgenin, which is a precursor for the synthesis of hormones such as progesterone. Russell Marker developed the...
) from which progesteroneProgesteroneProgesterone also known as P4 is a C-21 steroid hormone involved in the female menstrual cycle, pregnancy and embryogenesis of humans and other species...
can be synthesized. - An Medicinal herb in AyurvedaAyurvedaAyurveda or ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to India and a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, words , meaning "longevity", and , meaning "knowledge" or "science". The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India,...
(Dioscorea compositaDioscorea compositaDioscorea composita is a medicinal herb used in Ayurveda . The herb belongs to the family Dioscoreaceae.The herb is native of Mexico and has been domesticated in several tropical countries including India....
)