Here is why Fenugreek's MAIN action is progesterone-like. Because it causes branching of ducts.
Estrogen causes elongation of ducts. Prolactin causes duct ends to grow into milk producing glands (alveolar development or alevelorgenesis). Progesterone causes duct branching, meaning increasing the number of terminal ends. "Progesterone receptor signaling is required for side branching and alveologenesis." based on this. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2982168/ in 2010 . It then goes on to further to say that further alveologenesis requires prolactin.
Of course diosgenin binds to estrogen receptors, as do progesterone, estrogen, prolactin, and androgens bind to estrogen receptors.
It also makes sense that diosgenin has androgenic influences, because androgens are formed from progesterone.
Look at what diosgenin is labeled as, it is called a steroidal sapogenin, not a phytoestrogen.
These quotes are about Diosgenin from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1459613 - "increase in number of ducts and appearance of terminal endbuds" and "absence of alveolar development even in the presence of exogenous estrogen". Meaning progesterone.
"Diosgenin did significantly affect mammary maturation, increasing terminal endbud differentiation." www.fugh-berman.com/files/Bust.pdf . This is not an estrogenic action.
Here it lists Wild Yam (which has diosgenin) as potentially being estrogenic or progestogenic. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3800090/
Bottom line, diosgenin causes duct branching, like progesterone. Now, progesterone synergizes with estrogen and prolactin on each other's receptors, but this is specifically a progesterone action.
Estrogen causes elongation of ducts. Prolactin causes duct ends to grow into milk producing glands (alveolar development or alevelorgenesis). Progesterone causes duct branching, meaning increasing the number of terminal ends. "Progesterone receptor signaling is required for side branching and alveologenesis." based on this. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2982168/ in 2010 . It then goes on to further to say that further alveologenesis requires prolactin.
Of course diosgenin binds to estrogen receptors, as do progesterone, estrogen, prolactin, and androgens bind to estrogen receptors.
It also makes sense that diosgenin has androgenic influences, because androgens are formed from progesterone.
Look at what diosgenin is labeled as, it is called a steroidal sapogenin, not a phytoestrogen.
These quotes are about Diosgenin from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1459613 - "increase in number of ducts and appearance of terminal endbuds" and "absence of alveolar development even in the presence of exogenous estrogen". Meaning progesterone.
"Diosgenin did significantly affect mammary maturation, increasing terminal endbud differentiation." www.fugh-berman.com/files/Bust.pdf . This is not an estrogenic action.
Here it lists Wild Yam (which has diosgenin) as potentially being estrogenic or progestogenic. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3800090/
Bottom line, diosgenin causes duct branching, like progesterone. Now, progesterone synergizes with estrogen and prolactin on each other's receptors, but this is specifically a progesterone action.