Hyperlipidemia is a disorder of lipid metabolism, which is a major cause of coronary heart disease. Although there has been considerable progress in hyperlipidemia treatment, morbidity and risk associated with the condition continue to rise. The first-line treatment for hyperlipidemia, statins, has multiple side effects; therefore, development of safe and effective drugs from natural products to prevent and treat hyperlipidemia is necessary. Diosgenin is primarily derived from fenugreek ( Trigonella foenum graecum ) seeds, and is also abundant in medicinal herbs such as Dioscorea rhizome, Dioscorea septemloba , and Rhizoma polygonati , is a well-known steroidal sapogenin and the active ingredient in many drugs to treat cardiovascular conditions. There is abundant evidence that diosgenin has potential for application in correcting lipid metabolism disorders. In this review, we evaluated the latest evidence related to diosgenin and hyperlipidemia from clinical and animal studies. Additionally, we elaborate the pharmacological mechanism underlying the activity of diosgenin in treating hyperlipidemia in detail, including its role in inhibition of intestinal absorption of lipids, regulation of cholesterol transport, promotion of cholesterol conversion into bile acid and its excretion, inhibition of endogenous lipid biosynthesis, antioxidation and lipoprotein lipase activity, and regulation of transcription factors related to lipid metabolism. This review provides a deep exploration of the pharmacological mechanisms involved in diosgenin-hyperlipidemia interactions and suggests potential routes for the development of novel drug therapies for hyperlipidemia.

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A mesoscale eddy is detected and tracked in the western North Pacific region. Within the life cycle of the cyclonic eddies, the intensities of eddies make a difference. Satellite images indicate the oceanic eddy keeps westward-moving until it disappears. Oceanographic and acoustic characteristics of the eddy are studied. The acoustic energy distribution results from the different intensity of both modelled eddy and measured eddy are calculated. With sound propagation through the cyclonic eddy and anticyclonic eddy, the position of convergence zone moves away from and towards the acoustic source compared with the sound propagation through background hydrography. The coupling coefficient of different orders of normal modes changes significantly. The closer to the centre of the eddy, the stronger the coupling coefficient.