Diosgenin, called medicinal "gold" in the world, is one of synthetic raw materials for hundreds kinds of steroid hormone medicines like prednisolone and hydrocortisone as well as one of industrial raw materials in daily increasing demand worldwide.

In this regard, Jon Tong Chol, head of the center, told KCNA:

The center established the new production process, which ensures the purity of diosgenin at over 98 percent with locally available raw materials and its own technology, different from world-recognized methods and principles of process.

The establishment of the process makes it possible to create the Juche-based steroid pharmaceutical industry and promote the development of stockbreeding, fish-farming and cosmetics industries.

The new process is an ideal one which saves labor, raw materials, electricity and water and favorable for environmental protection.

It consumes no more than half the electric power, steam and water needed by other processes in the world, when producing one ton of diosgenin and recycles by-products into ethyl alcohol without environmental pollution caused by acid wastes.

Under the guidance of the respected Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, it gains momentum in different parts of the national economy to preferentially solve sci-tech problems arising in establishing the Juche-based production processes, further exploit locally available raw materials, home-produce equipment and thus speed up the perfection of the structure of self-supporting economy.