Abstract: Based on the concept of clean production and comprehensive resource utilization, a new procedure for the extraction of diosgenin from Dioscorea zingiberensis C. H. Wright rhizomes was proposed. This procedure involved four stages, recovery of starch and cellulose from the raw material, one-step multi-enzymatic hydrolysis, microwave-assisted acidolysis and diosgenin extraction. First, most of the starch and cellulose in Dioscorea zingiberensis C. H. Wright rhizomes were extracted physically. In this process, ultrasonication was introduced to save water. Second, the residual starch and cellulose were further hydrolyzed with added thermostable α-amylase and glucoamylase. Third, diosgenin was released by acidolysis. In this process, microwave heating was used to save acid and shorten the acidolysis time. Finally, a small quantity of solvent was used to extract diosgenin and the extract was refined by re-crystallization. Compared with the traditional single acidolysis procedure, this clean production procedure could save acid by 96.97% and result in an increase in diosgenin yield of 34.56%.

Key words: multi-enzyme, microwave, Dioscorea zingiberensis C. H. Wright, diosgenin