Asparagus racemosa, Shatavari

Indian Asparagus
Shatavari (Ayurveda)
Satavar (Unani)
Nye Shing  ཉེ་ཤིང༌  (Tibetan)
Figures of Indian Plants, Wight, 1853

Asparagus racemosus
Photo by S.K. Gawali

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Botanical name:

Asparagus racemosus
Others used include A. sarmentosus, A. curillus, A. filicinus

Parts used:

Root

Temperature & Taste:

Cool, moist. Sweet

Uses:

1. Nourishes Blood and Yin, Regulates Menstruation:
-considered a special tonic medicine for women and female disorders in Ayurveda.
-promotes menstruation when lacking and hinders when too excessive.
-nourishes Blood and benefits female hormones; benefits Fertility

2. Benefits the Kidneys, Nourishes Yin
-Increases Sperm
–Rasayana (Ayurveda); tonic for children and the aged.
-regarded as aphrodisiac (Ayurveda, Unani)

3. Promotes Milk
-increases supply and quality of Breast Milk

4. Resists Poison:
-root decoction is given for Rabid Dog bite in India

5. Externally:
-widely used in oils, for dryness of the skin, aggravated Wind, and weakness of the muscles and joints

Dose:

To nourish Yin and Essence, and increase Sperm, it is often boiled in Milk, or taken with Ghee in India.
It can be decocted with wine to promote menstruation
Powder: 2–6 grams
Decoction: 3–9 grams (to 30 grams daily).

Substitutes:

1. Soloman’s Seal (P. multiflorum) is an accepted substitute for Shatavari in Ayurveda.
2. Common Asparagus is similar and may be substituted as a Yin tonic.

Main Combinations:

1. As an aphrodisiac and kidney tonic, Impotence:
i. Asparagus racemosus with Withania and Tribulus seed
ii. Asparagus racemosus with Salep, Almond, Saffron
iii. Impotence, Sida cordifolia with Sesame seed, Tinospora (Guduchi), Asparagus racemosa (Shatavari), Mucuna, Emblic Myrobalan (Ashtanga Hridaya)
2. Promote Fertility in male and female:
i. Asparagus racemosus with Withania
ii. Asparagus racemosus with Withania, Asparagus adcendens, Tribulus seed, Frankincense
3. Increase quality and quantity of Sperm:
i. Asparagus racemosus with Withania, Mucuna, Emblic Myrobalan
ii. Asparagus racemosus with Withania, Shilajit
iii. Asparagus racemosus with Withania, Tribulus seed, Zinc Bhasma
iv. Asparagus racemosus with Orchis
4. As a female tonic:
i. Asparagus racemosus combines well with Dang Gui
ii. Asparagus racemosus, Rose, Pearl
5. As a childhood tonic:
i. Asparagus racemosus with Rose, Emblic Myrobalan, Withania, Calamus (as in Balivivan)
ii. Asparagus juice is heated gently with Coconut milk, Cow Milk, Ghee, China root and Cardamon. This forms a nourishing tonic for emaciated children. (Shatavari Ghritam)
6. Promote and regulate Menstruation:
i. Asparagus racemosus with Cyperus rotundus, Rose, Saraca
ii. Asparagus racemosus with Dang Gui, Safflower
iii. Asparagus racemosus with Gymnadema, Solomans Seal, Aloeswood, Nutmeg (as in Warm the Palace 7 Pill)
7. Uterine Bleeding, Asparagus racemosus with Adhatoda, Rose
8. Prevent Miscarriage:
i. Asparagus racemosus with Saraca and Madder
ii. Asparagus racemosus with Pearl, Red Coral
9. Increase Milk quality and quantity, Asparagus racemosus, Fennel seed, Celery seed
10. Colitis:
i. Asparagus racemosus, Emblic Myrobalan, Madder, Picrorrhiza
ii. Asparagus racemosus with Costus, Licorice
11. Epilepsy, Asparagus racemosa, Centella, Calamus, Costus,
12. Lung heat Cough, Asparagus racemosus with Licorice, Adhatoda
13. Difficult, painful urine, hematuria, Asparagus racemosus with Sandalwood, Tribulus

Major Formulas:

Asparagus Ghee (Shavatari Ghritam) (Ayurveda)
Balivivan (Ayurveda)
Cardamon 7 (Sug smel 7) (Tibetan)
Cyavanaprash (Ayurveda)
Dhatuvallabha Churna (Ayurveda)
Essence Pills (Bcud len ril bu) (Tibetan)
Mandala of the Sun (Se bru nye dkyil) (Tibetan)
Powder to Strengthen in Pregnancy
Warm the Palace 7 Pill

Cautions:

1. Avoid in spleen weakness with loose bowels
2. Research has shown that it should be used cautiously in pregnancy. (see here)

Toxicity

Acute toxicity tests showed no toxicity with large doses. (see here)

Main Preparations used:

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‘These two plants [A. racemosus and A. sarmentosus] appear to be the Satavari and Maha-satdvari of the Nighantas: among the synonyms of the first, we find Dvipika, Dvipa-satru, Vara- ghantika, Narayani, and Sata-padi; the synonyms of the second are very similar, amongst them we note Bahu-puttrika, Dagdha, and Bhasma-roha. Both plants are considered to be heavy and cold, sweet, demulcent, galactogogue, tonic, and strengthening, and to remove bilious and rheumatic humors, blood diseases, and swellings; they are used both internally and in the preparation of several medicated oils. The tubers are candied and eaten as a sweetmeat. The fresh juice of the root is given with honey as a demulcent in bilious dyspepsia or diarrhoea (Sdrangadhara). As an aphrodisiac, Chakradatta directs four sers of the juice of the roots and four sers of ghi [ghee] to be boiled in forty sers of milk, and to be flavoured with sugar or honey, and long pepper. The chief use of the drug, however, is in the preparation of medicated oils for external application in nervous and rheumatic affections and urinary

disorders. The Narayam taila, a popular remedy of this kind, contains the barks of Aegle Marmelos, Premna integrifolia, Oroxylum indicum, Erythrina indica, Stereospermum suaveolens, and Poederia foetida; the roots of Withania somnifera and Boerhaavia repens, the fruit of Tribulus terrestris, and the leaves of Solanum xanthocarpum, Bolanum indicum, Sida cordifolia and Sida rhombifolia, of each twenty tolas. The whole collection is boiled in 64 sers of water down to one-fourth and strained. To the strained decoction is added four sers each of the juice of Satavari and prepared sesamum oil, sixteen sers of cows’ or goats’ milk, and a paste prepared with four tolas of each of the following drugs— Fennel seeds, wood of Cedrus Deodara, root of Nardostachys Jatamami, liquid storax, Acorus root, Sandalwood, herb of Limnanthemum cristatum, Costus, Cardamoms, leaves of Desmodium gangeticum, of Uraria lagopoides, of Phaseolus trilobus, and of Teramnus labialis, roots of Withania somnifera, Vanda Roxburghii, and Boerhaavia repens, rock salt. The whole is then reboiled and perfumed. (Chakradatta.)’ (Pharmacographia Indica, Dymock, 1893)

GENERAL / REVIEW –Asparagus racemosus: a review on its phytochemical and therapeutic potential. –Biological activities of Asparagus racemosus. –Asparagus racemosus–ethnopharmacological evaluation and conservation needs. –Asparagus racemosus–an update. ANTIBACTERIAL –Evaluation of antibacterial activity of Asparagus racemosus willd. root. ANTI-VIRAL –In-silico investigation of phytochemicals from Asparagus racemosus as plausible antiviral agent in COVID-19. ANTI-INFLAMMATORY –Anti-inflammatory activity of liposomes of Asparagus racemosus root extracts prepared by various methods. ANTIOXIDANT –In vitro antioxidant activities of root extract of Asparagus racemosus Linn. –Antioxidant and hepatoprotective action of Asparagus racemosus Willd. root extracts. –Identification of antioxidant compound from Asparagus racemosus. ADAPTOGENIC –Asparagus racemosus modulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and brain monoaminergic systems in rats. EFFECT ON IMMUNITY –Adjuvant effect of Asparagus racemosus Willd. derived saponins in antibody production, allergic response and pro-inflammatory cytokine modulation. –Immunomodulatory potential of shatavarins produced from Asparagus racemosus tissue cultures. –Characterization and in vitro immunomodulatory screening of fructo-oligosaccharides of Asparagus racemosus Willd. –A unique immuno-stimulant steroidal sapogenin acid from the roots of Asparagus racemosus. –Immunomodulatory activity of Asparagus racemosus on systemic Th1/Th2 immunity: implications for immunoadjuvant potential. –Immunoadjuvant potential of Asparagus racemosus aqueous extract in experimental system. HEPATOPROTECTIVE –Antioxidant and hepatoprotective action of Asparagus racemosus Willd. root extracts. –Protective effects of Asparagus racemosus on oxidative damage in isoniazid-induced hepatotoxic rats: an in vivo study. ANXIETY & STRESS –Asparagus racemosus attenuates anxiety-like behavior in experimental animal models. –Antistress activity of ethanolic extract of Asparagus racemosus Willd roots in mice. –Effects of Chlorophytum arundinaceum, Asparagus adscendens and Asparagus racemosus on pro-inflammatory cytokine and corticosterone levels produced by stress. ANTIDEPRESSANT –Antidepressant activity of Asparagus racemosus in rodent models. EPILEPSY –Ameliorative effect of Asparagus racemosus root extract against pentylenetetrazol-induced kindling and associated depression and memory deficit. NEUROMODULATORY –Neuromodulatory potential of Asparagus racemosus and its bioactive molecule Shatavarin IV by enhancing synaptic acetylcholine level and nAChR activity. NEUROPROTECTIVE –Neuroprotective effect of Asparagus racemosus root extract via the enhancement of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and estrogen receptor in ovariectomized rats. NEURODEGENERATIVE DISEASES –Neuro-nutraceutical potential of Asparagus racemosus: A review. ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE –Sarsasapogenin: A steroidal saponin from Asparagus racemosus as multi target directed ligand in Alzheimer’s disease.

ANTICONVULSIVE –Anticonvulsant Effect of Asparagus racemosus Willd. in a Mouse Model of Catamenial Epilepsy. PERFORMANCE ENHANCING –The Effects of Asparagus Racemosus Supplementation Plus 8 Weeks of Resistance Training on Muscular Strength and Endurance. ANTI-TUSSIVE –Antitussive effect of Asparagus racemosus root against sulfur dioxide-induced cough in mice. DIABETES –Antidiabetic potential of Asparagus racemosus Willd leaf extracts through inhibition of α-amylase and α-glucosidase. –Antihyperglycaemic activity of Asparagus racemosus roots is partly mediated by inhibition of carbohydrate digestion and absorption, and enhancement of cellular insulin action. –Insulin secretory actions of extracts of Asparagus racemosus root in perfused pancreas, isolated islets and clonal pancreatic beta-cells. DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY –Asparagus racemosus Willd (Liliaceae) ameliorates early diabetic nephropathy in STZ induced diabetic rats. GASTRODUODENAL ULCER –Gastroduodenal ulcer protective activity of Asparagus racemosus: an experimental, biochemical and histological study. –A clinical study of parinamasula and its treatment with satavari (asparagus racemosus willd.). DIARRHEA –Anti-diarrhoeal potential of Asparagus racemosus wild root extracts in laboratory animals. URINARY STONES –Study of antiurolithiatic activity of Asparagus racemosus on albino rats. –Antilithiatic effect of Asparagus racemosus Willd on ethylene glycol-induced lithiasis in male albino Wistar rats. FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH –Impact of stress on female reproductive health disorders: Possible beneficial effects of shatavari (Asparagus racemosus). ESTROGENIC –Effect of Asparagus racemosus rhizome (Shatavari) on mammary gland and genital organs of pregnant rat. GALACTOGOGUE –A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial for Evaluation of Galactogogue Activity of Asparagus racemosus Willd. –Randomized controlled trial of Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari) as a lactogogue in lactational inadequacy. CANCER –Asparagus racemosus and Geodorum densiflorum lectins induce apoptosis in cancer cells by altering proteins and genes expression. –Shatavarins (containing Shatavarin IV) with anticancer activity from the roots of Asparagus racemosus. BREAST –Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari) targeting estrogen receptor α: – An in-vitro and in-silico mechanistic study. –Inhibitory action of Asparagus racemosus on DMBA-induced mammary carcinogenesis in rats. COLON –Apoptosis inducing activity of steroidal constituents from Solanum xanthocarpum and Asparagus racemosus. LIVER –The effect of the aqueous extract of the roots of Asparagus racemosus on hepatocarcinogenesis initiated by diethylnitrosamine. CHEMOTHERAPY TOXICITY –Asparagus racemosus ameliorates cisplatin induced toxicities and augments its antileishmanial activity by immunomodulation in vivo.