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Botanical Name :Asparagus
racemosus
Sanskrit name :
Shatavari
English Name :
Asparagus
Family : Liliaceae
Plant Parts Used :
Root
Description of
Asparagus racemosus:
It is an under-shrub, climbs up to 1-3 m high, with stout and creeping
root stock. The root occurs in clusters or fascicle at the base of the
stem with succulent and tuberous rootlets. The stem is scandent, woody,
triquetrous, striate, terete and climbing. The young stem is delicate,
brittle and smooth. The spines are long, sub-recurved or straight.
Cladodes are in tufts of 2-6 in a node, slender, finely acuminate, and
falcate divaricate. The flowers, solitary or fascicles, simple or
branched racemes of 3 cm long. The pedicel is slender and jointed in the
middle. Perianth lobes white, fragrant and 3 mm in length. The anthers
minute and purple. The berry globular or obscurely 3 lobbed,
purple-reddish, seeds hard with brittle testa.
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Chemical composition / key active constituents
Steroidal saponins, known as shatavarins I-IV. Shatawarin I is the major
glycoside with 3 glucose and rhamnose moieties attached to
sarsasapogenin, whereas shatavarin-IV contains. Alkaloids, proteins,
starch and tannin. Isoflavones including 8-methoxy-5, 6, 4 trihydroxyisoflavone 7-O-beta-D-glucopyranoside. Asparagamine, a
polycyclic alkaloid. Racemosol, a cyclic hydrocarbon
(9,10-dihydrophenanthrene).Polysaccharides, mucilage is present in the
roots.
Pharmacology:
Alcoholic extract has anti-oxytocic activity, saponin-glycoside (A4)
produced a specific and competitive block of the pitocin-induced
contraction of rat, guinea pig and rabbit uteri in vitro and
in situ. It also blocked the spontaneous uterine motility. Also
found that the hypotensive action of syntocinin in cat was unaffected by
previous administration of saponin A4. Root extracts
increase the weight of mammary glands in post-partum and
estrogens-primed rats and uterine weight in estrogens-primed group.
It also has galactogogue action in buffaloes. It increased
the force and rate of contraction in isolated frog's heart, but in
higher doses it caused cardiac arrest. Both aerial parts and
roots have amylase and lipase activities. Aerial parts have
anticancer activity in human epidermal carcinoma of the nasopharynx.
Medicinal use:
Galactagogue [Production of Milk], Immunomodulator, Aphrodisiac [Sexual
Tonic], Mucilaginous, Refrigerant, Diuretic, Ant dysenteric, Nutritive
Tonic, Demulcent, Antispasmodic, Adaptogen, Anti tussive, Antioxidant,
Antibacterial, Cytoprotective, Anti-Oxytocic, Anti diarrhoeal.
Herbal Extract packing:
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