# US 10,369,183 B2 · Therapeutic compositions from jamaican bitter yam and methods of making and using same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,369,183 B2 - Document ID: US10369183B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 12/533,143 - Filed: 2009-07-31 - Published: 2010-06-10 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2008-08-01 - Assignees: The University of the West Indies - Applicants: Dewayne K. Stennett; Helen N. Asemota - Inventors: Dewayne K. Stennett; Helen N. Asemota - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10369183B2 ## CPC - A61K 36/8945: Dioscorea, e.g. yam, Chinese yam or water yam - A23L 33/105: Plant extracts, their artificial duplicates or their derivatives - A23V 2002/00: Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs - A61K: PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL OR TOILETRY PURPOSES (devices or methods specially adapted for bringing pharmaceutical products into particular physical or administering forms A61J3/00; chemical aspects of, or use of materials for deodorisation of air, for disinfection or sterilisation, or for bandages, dressings, absorbent pads or surgical articles A61L; soap compositions C11D) - A23L: FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; PREPARATION OR TREATMENT THEREOF (preservation thereof A23B) - A23V: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO FOODS, FOODSTUFFS OR NON-ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES AND LACTIC OR PROPIONIC ACID BACTERIA USED IN FOODSTUFFS OR FOOD PREPARATION ## Abstract The invention relates to therapeutic compositions, in particular to therapeutic compositions made from Jamaican bitter yam that are substantially free of tannins and alkaloids and comprise fiber, and methods of making and using such therapeutic compositions. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A composition for treating diabetes or hypercholesterolemia comprising an effective amount of solid Jamaican bitter yam therapeutic product, wherein said solid Jamaican bitter yam therapeutic product comprises fibers and saponins and less than about 0.1% tannins by weight and less than about 0.1% alkaloids by weight, wherein said solid Jamaican bitter yam therapeutic product is obtained by pulverizing Jamaican bitter yam into a powder and soaking the powder with a basic solution to substantially remove tannins, followed by filtration, and wherein said composition is in the form of a capsule, a tablet, a pill, a troch, a cream, a gel, or an emulsion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein the basic solution comprises sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, or potassium hydroxide. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein the saponins comprise diosgenin. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition decreases blood glucose levels when administered to a diabetic subject. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition decreases total cholesterol levels when administered to a diabetic or hypercholesterolemic subject. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein the solid Jamaican bitter yam therapeutic product further comprises one or more phenols. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is substantially free of Jamaican bitter yam peel. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein said solid Jamaican bitter yam therapeutic product is obtained by: (a) providing Jamaican bitter yam; (b) pulverizing the Jamaican bitter yam into a powder; and (c) removing tannins and alkaloids from the powder to provide a substantially tannin-free and substantially alkaloid-free composition. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The composition of claim 8, wherein the tannins in the powder are removed by soaking the powder in the basic solution. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The composition of claim 8, wherein the alkaloids in the powder are removed by chromatographic separation. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The composition of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises drying the Jamaican bitter yam prior to pulverizing the Jamaican bitter yam. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The composition of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises removing the peel from the Jamaican bitter yam prior to drying the Jamaican bitter yam. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The composition of claim 1, wherein said solid Jamaican bitter yam therapeutic product is obtained by: (a) providing Jamaican bitter yam; (b) drying and grinding the Jamaican bitter yam into a powder; (c) removing tannins from the powder by soaking the powder in the basic solution and removing the filtrate to provide a substantially tannin-free residue; (d) soaking the substantially tannin-free residue in a solvent to provide a substantially tannin-free solution; (e) removing all solid components from the solution; (f) removing alkaloids from the solution by chromatographic separation to provide a substantially alkaloid-free and substantially tannin-free solution; (g) removing the solvent from the substantially alkaloid-free and substantially tannin-free solution to provide a substantially alkaloid-free and substantially tannin-free solid; and (h) combining the substantially alkaloid-free and substantially tannin-free solid with the solid components from step (e) to provide the therapeutic product. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The composition of claim 13, wherein the solvent is methanol.