Pharmacological significance of shatavari; The Queen of herbs.
Keywords:
Asparagus racemosus, Pharmacology, Medicinal herb, Rasayana herb, Plant based preparationsAbstract
Shatavari (A. racemosus) has been used since ages by the rural people as a galactagogue. The herb is a source of phytochemicals like steroidal saponins, sapogenins, flavonoids (kaempferol, quercetin, and rutin), and poly phenols (secondary metabolites that have high pharmacological importance). These active principals gives medicinal value to the plant as anti-ulcerogenic, anti-oxytocic, anti-tussive, anti-diabetic, immunostimulants, cardioprotective, anti-cancerous, anti-hepatotoxic, anti-bacterial, anti-diarrheal, anti-aging, anti-depressant, anti-lithiatic, and anti-candidal activities. The review has been written in an attempt to enlist the detailed aspects of pharmacological significance of shatavari with the aim to provide a direction for further clinical research to promote safe and effective herbal treatments to cure a number of diseases.
References
Negi JS, Singh P, Joshi GP, Rawat MS, Bisht VK. Chemical constituents of Asparagus. Phcog Rev. 2010; 4: 215-220.
Miller AL. Antioxidant flavonoids: structure, function and clinical usage. Alt. Med. Rev. 1996; 1: 103-111.
Sabnis PS, Gaitondi BB, Jetmalani M. Effect of alcoholic extract of Asparagus racemosus on mammary glands of rats. Indian J. Exptl. Biol. 1968; 6: 55-57.
Kaikini AS, Pargaonkar DR, Dindorkar CV. Studies on oestrus and oestrous cycle in nondescript (Native) Cows Proc. 1st Asian Congress on Fertility, and Sterility, Bombay. 1977; pp: 19-24.
Patel AB, Kanitkar UK. Asparagus racemosus Willd. from Bordi as a galactogogue in buffaloes. Indian Vet. J. 1969; 46: 718-721.
Vihan VS, Panwar HS. A note on galactogogue activity of Asparagus racemosus in lactating goats. Indian J. Animal Health. 1988; 27: 177-178.
Gupta M, Shaw B. A Double-Blind Randomized Clinical Trial for Evaluation of Galactogogue Activity of Asparagus racemosus Willd. Iranian Journal of Pharmaceutical Research. 2011; 10(1): 167-172.
Saxena VK, Chourasia S. A new isoflavone from the roots of Asparagus racemosus. Fitoterapia. 2001; 72: 307-9.
Wuttke W, Jarry H, Westphalen S, Christoffel V and Seidlová-Wuttke D. Phytoestrogens for hormone replacement therapy. Journal of Steroid Biochemistry & Molecular Biology. 2003; 83: 133–147.
Barrett-Connor E, Grady D. Hormone replacement therapy, heart disease, and other considerations. Annu. Rev. Public Health. 1998; 19: 55–72.
Rao AR. Inhibitory action of Asparagus racemosus on DMBA-induced mammary carcinogenesis in rats. Int. Journal Cancer. 1981; 28: 607-10.
Ashajyothi V, Pippalla RS, Satyavati D. Asparagus racemosus – A phytoestrogen. Int. Journal Of Pharmacy & Technology. 2009; 1(1): 36-47.
Dalvi SS, Nadkarni PM, Gupta KC. Effect of Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari) on gastric emptying time in normal healthy volunteers. J. Postgrad. Med. 1990; 36:91
Koch-Weser J, Schulze-Delrieu K. Metoclopramide. New Eng. J. Med. 1981; 305: 28-33.
Murad F. Haynes RC. Hormones and Hormone Antagonists. Introduction in: "Goodman and Gilman's Pharmacological Basis of Therapeutics," 6th Edition, Gilman, A.G., Goodman, L.S., Gilman, A., editors. 1985; pp 1367-1368.
Sarin SK, Sharma P, Chawla YK, Gopinath P, Nundy S. Clinical trial on the effect of domperidone on non-ulcer dyspepsia. Ind. J. Med. Res. 1986; 83: 623-628.
Mandal SC, Kumar CK, Mohana Lakshmi S, Sinha S, Murugesan T, Saha BP Antitussive effect of Asparagus racemosus root against sulfur dioxide-induced cough in mice. Fitoterapia. 2000a; 71: 686-9.
Retnam K, De Britto A. Antimicrobial activity of a medicinal plant Hybanthus enneaspermus (Linn) F.Muell. N. Prod. Rad. 2007; 6(5): 366-368.
Mandal SC, Nandy A, Pal M, Saha BP. Evaluation of antimicrobial activity of Asparagus racemosus Willd: Root. Phytother. Res. 2000b; 14:118-9.
Battu GR, Kumar BM. Phytochemical and Antimicrobial Activity of Leaf Extract of Asparagus racemosus Willd. Phcog. J. 2010; 2: 456-463.
Kaushik S, Sonone NG, Alai SP, Tula S, Pushker AK, Gupta R. Screening of some medicinally important plants for their antifungal activity against Fusarium oxysporum and Aspergillus parasiticus. International Journal of Herbal Medicine. 2014; 1(6): 51-54.
Onlom C, Khanthawong S, Waranuch N, Ingkaninan K. In vitro anti‐Malassezia activity and potential use in anti‐dandruff formulation of Asparagus racemosus. International journal of cosmetic science, 2014; 36(1): 74-78.
James William D, Berger Timothy G. Andrews' Diseases of the Skin: clinical Dermatology. Saunders Elsevier. 2006; pp. 422-428. ISBN 0-7216-2921-0.
Datta GK, Sairam K, Priyambada S, Debnath PK, Goel RK. Antiulcerogenic activity of Satavari mandur--an Ayurvedic herbo-mineral preparation. Indian J. Exp. Biol. 2002; 40(10): 1173-1177.
Rege NN, Nazareth HM, Isaac A, Karandikar SM, Dahanukar SA. Immunotherapeutic modulation of intraperitoneal adhesions by Asparagus racemosus. Journal Postgrad. Med. 1989; 35: 199-203.
Diwanay S, Chitre D, Patwardhan. Immunoprotection by botanical drugs in cancer chemotherapy. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2004; 90(1): 49-55.
Kumari R, Tiwary BK, Prasad A, Ganguly S. Study on the immuno-modulatory effect of herbal extract of Asparagus racemosus willd. in broiler chicks. Glob. J. Res. Med. Plants Indig. Med. 2012; 1(1): 1-6.
Veena N, Arora S, Kapila S, Singh RRB, Katara A, Pandey MM, Singh AK. Immunomodulatory and antioxidative potential of milk fortified with Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari). Journal of Medicinal Plants, 2014; 2(6): 13-19.
Adibhatla RM, Hatcher JF. Phospholipase A2, reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation in cerebral ischemia. Free Rad. Bio Med. 2006; 40: 376-387.
Halliwell B. Free radicals, antioxidants, and human disease: curiosity, cause, or consequence?. Lancet. 1994; 344: 721– 724.
Poulson HE, Loft S. Role of oxidative DNA damage in cancer initiation and promotion. European Journal of Cancer Prevention. 1998; 7: 9-16.
Kontos HA. Oxygen radicals in cerebral ischemia. Stroke. 2001; 32: 2712-2716.
Wiboonpun N, Phuwapraisirisan P, Tip-pyang S. Identification of antioxidant compound from Asparagus racemosus. Phytotherapy Research. 2004; 18: 771–773.
Kamat JP, Boloor KK, Devasagayam TP, Venkatachalam SR. Antioxidant properties of Asparagus racemosus against damage induced by gamma-radiation in rat liver mitochondria. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2000; 73:425-35.
Vimal S, Sissodia SS, Meena P, Barber S, Shukla S, Saxena A, Patro N, Patro I, Bhatnagar M. Annals of Neurosciences. 2005; 12(4): 67-70.
Jain PK, Ravichandran V, Agrawal RK. Antioxidant and free radical scavenging properties of traditionally used three Indian medicinal plants. Current Trends in Biotechnology and Pharmacy. 2008; 2(4): 538-547.
Visavadiya N, Narasimhacharya RL. Hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities of Asparagus racemosus in hypercholesteremic rats. Ind. J. Pharmacolog. 2005; 37: 376-80.
Visavadiya NP, Narasimhacharya AV. Asparagus root regulates cholesterol metabolism and improves antioxidant status in hypercholesteremic rats. Evid Based Complement Alternat. Med. 2009; 6:219-26.
Wu B, Liu M, Zhang S, Shen D. Agents for acute ischemic stroke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2004; 4, Art.No. CD004295. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD004295.
Lee IY, Lee CC, Chang CK, Chien CH, Lin MT. Sheng mai san, a Chinese herbal medicine protects against renal ischemic injury during heat stroke in the rat. Cli. Exp. Pharmacol. Physoil. 2005; 32: 742-748.
Bei W, Peng W, Ma Y, Nao XA, Qing X. An anti-stroke herbal medicine reduces Hydrogen peroxide-induced injury in NG108�15 cells. Neurosci. Lett. 2004; 363: 262-265.
Parihar MS, Hemnani T. Experimental excitotoxicity provokes oxidative damage in mice brain and attenuation by extract of Asparagus racemosus. J. Neural Transm. 2004; 111: 1-12.
Nandagopal M, Muralidharan P, Thirumurugan G. Cerebroprotective Effect of Root Extract of Asparagus racemosus Willd. in Global Cerebral Ischemia in Rats. Journal of Pharmacology and Toxicology. 2011; 6: 49-61.
Singh GK, Garabadu D, Muruganandam AV, Joshi VK, Krishnamurthy S. Antidepressant activity of Asparagus racemosus in rodent models. Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior. 2009; 91: 283-290.
Agrawal A, Sharma M, Rai SK, Singh B, Tiwari M, Chandra R. The effect of the aqueous extract of the roots of Asparagus racemosus on hepatocarcinogenesis initiated by diethylnitrosamine. Phytother. Res. 2008; 22(9): 1175-1182.
Bhutani KK, Paul AT, Fayad W, Under S. Apoptosis inducing activity of steroidal constituents from Solarium xanthocarpum and Asparagus racemosus. Phytomedicine. 2010; 17(10): 789-793.
Mangal A, Panda D, Sharma MC. Peptic ulcer healing properties of Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus Willd.). Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge. 2006; 5(2): 227-228.
Sairam K, Priyambada S, Aryya NC, Goel RK. Gastroduodenal ulcer protective activity of Asparagus racemosus: An experimental, biochemical and histological study. J. Ethnopharmacol. 2003; 86: 1-10.
Bhatnagar M, Sisodia SS, Bhatnagar R. Antiulcer and antioxidant activity of Asparagus racemosus Willd and Withania somnifera Dunal in rats. Ann. NY Acad. Sci. 2005; 1056: 261-78.
Snyder JD, Merson MH. The magnitude of the global problem of acute diarrhoea disease: A review of active surveillance of data. Bull. WHO. 1982; 60: 605-613.
Venkatesan N, Thiyagarajan V, Narayanan S, Arul A, Raja S, Kumar SG, Rajarajan T, Perianayagam JB. Antidiarrheal potential of Asparagus racemosus wild root extracts in laboratory animals. J. Pharmacolog. Pharmaceut. Sci. 2005; 8: 39-46.
Ward FM, Daly MJ. Hepatic Disease. In: Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics. Churchill Livingstone, New York. 1999; pp: 195-212.
Rahiman Fasalu OM, Kumar Rupesh M, Mani Tamizh T, Niyas Mohamed K, Kumar, Satya B, Phaneendra P, Surendra B. Hepatoprotective activity of “Asparagus racemosus root” on liver damage caused by paracetamol in rats. Indian Journal of Novel Drug delivery. 2011; 3(2): 112-117.
Kumar Rupesh M, Rahiman Fasalu OM, Mani Tamizh T, Niyas Mohamed K, Kumar Satya B, Phaneendra P, Surendra B. Evaluation of hepatoprotective activity of Asparagus racemosus root against paracetamol – induced acute liver injury in rats, Pharmacologyonline. 2011; 1: 1059-1066.
Velavan S, Nagulendran K, Mahesh R, Hazeena Begum V. In vitro antioxidant activity of Asparagus racemosus root. Pharmacog Magaz. 2007; 3(9): 26-33.
Velavan S, Hazeena Begum V. Lipids Regulating Activity of Asparagus racemosus Root in Young and Aged Rats. Indian Journal of Gerontology. 2011; 25(3): 273-285.
Howlett DR, Simmons L, Dingwall Christie G. In search of an enzyme: the b-secretase of Alzheimer's disease is an aspartic proteinase. Review. 2000; 23: 565-570.
Ritchie K, Kildea D. Is senile dementia "age-related" or "ageing-related"? Evidence from meta-analysis of dementia prevalence in the oldest old. Lancet. 1995; 346: 931-934.
Aevarsson O, Skoog I. A population based study on the incidence of dementia disorders between 85 and 88 years of age. J. Am. Geriat. Soc. 1996; 44: 1455-1460.
Kamboj VP. Herbal Medicine. Current Sci. 2004; 78(1): 35-39.
Bhatnagar M. Novel leads from herbal drugs for neurodegenerative diseases. In: Ramawat, K.G. (eds). Herbal Drugs: Ethnomedicine to Modern Medicine. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. 2009; pp: 221-238.
Sukhdev. Ancient-modern concordance in Ayurvedic plants: some examples. Environ Health Perspect. 1999; 107 (10): 783-789.
Dhwaj AV, Singh R. Reversal effect of Asparagus racemosus wild (liliaceae) root extract on memory deficits of mice. Int. J. Drug Dev. & Res. 2011; 3(2): 314-323.
Christina AJ, Ashok K, Packialakshmi M, Tobin GC, Preethi J, Murugesh N. Antilithiatic effect of Asparagus racemosus Willd on ethylene glycol-induced lithiasis in male albino Wistar rats. Methods Find Exp Clin Pharmacol. 2005; 27(9):633-638.
Ryan KJ, Ray CG (editors). Sherris Medical Microbiology (4th ed.). McGraw Hill. 2004; ISBN 0838585299.
Uma B, Prabhakar K, Rajendran S. Anticandidal activity of Asparagus racemosus. Indian J. Pharm. Sci. 2009; 71(3): 342–343.
Roglic G, Unwin N, Bennett PH, Mathers C, Tuomilohto J, Nag S, Connolly V, King H. The burden of mortality attributable to diabetes: realistic estimate for the year 2000. Diabetes Care. 2005; 28: 2130–2135.
Booth GL, Kapral MK, Fung K, Tu JV. Relation between age and cardiovascular disease in men and women with diabetes compared with non-diabetic people: a population-based retrospective cohort study. Lancet. 2006; 368: 29–36.
Holman RR, Turner RC. Oral agents and insulin in the treatment of NIDDM. In Text Book of Diabetes Pickup, Eds J Pickup & G Williams. Oxford: Blackwell. 1991; pp: 67-469.
Kameswara Rao B, Giri R, Kesavulu MM, Apparao CH. Herbal medicine in the management of diabetes mellitus. Manphar Vaidhya Patrika. 1997; 1: 33–35.
Prout TE. Excerpta Medica. In Proceedings VIII Congress of International Diabetes Federation, Eds WJ Malaisse, J Pirart. Amsterdam: Elsevier Publishing. 1974; pp: 162.
Akhtar MS, Shah MV. Elemental constituents of antidiabetic screening of a folklore medicinal plant prescription. Indian Journal of Toxicology, Occupational and Environmental Health. 1993; 2: 46.
Rana TS, Singh KK, Rao RR. Some interesting reports on indigenous herbal remedies for diabetes mellitus from India. Fourth Int. Cong. Ethnobiol., NBRI, Lukhnow. 1994; 47: 17–21.
Hannan JMA, Marenah L, Ali L, Rokeya B, Flatt PR, Abdel-Wahab YH. Insulin secretory actions of extracts of Asparagus racemosus root in perfused pancreas, isolated islets and clonal pancreatic β-cells. J Endocrinol. 2007; 192: 159-168.
Sapra B, Jain S, Tiwary AK. Effect of Asparagus racemosus extract on transdermal Delivery of carvedilol: A Mechanistic Study. Pharm Sci. Tech. 2009; 10(1):199 -210.
Di Pompo G, Poli F, Mandrone M, Lorenzi B, Roncuzzi L, Baldini N, Granchi D. Comparative “in vitro” evaluation of the antiresorptive activity residing in four Ayurvedic medicinal plants. i> Hemidesmus indicus emerges for its potential in the treatment of bone loss diseases. Journal of ethnopharmacology, 2014; 154(2): 462-470.
Goel RK, Prabha T, Kumar MM, Dorababu M, Prakash Singh G. Teratogenicity of Asparagus racemosus Willd. root, a herbal medicine. Indian J. Exp. Biol. 2006; 44(7): 570-573.
Sharma AK, Agrawal A, Agrawal U, Dubey GP. Influence of Mentat on Memory and Mental Fatigue in cases of Anxiety Neurosis and Depression. Ind. J. Cancer & Bio. Res. 1990; 3(1): 27-30.
Sundaram R, Venkataranganna MV, Gopumadhavan S, Mitra SK. Interaction of a Herbomineral Preparation D-400, with Oral Hypoglycaemic Drugs. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 1996; 55: 55-61.
Kundu PK, Chatterjee PS. Meta-analysis of Diabecon Tablets: Efficacy and Safety Outcomes from 15 Clinical Trials in Diabetes Mellitus. Indian Journal of Clinical Practice. 2010; 20(9): 653-659.
Gopumadhavan S, Venkataranganna MV, Rafiq M, Madhumathi BG, Mitra SK. Evaluation of the estrogenic effect of Menosan using the rat models of uterotrophic assay. Medicine Update. 2005; 13: 37–41.
Singh SK, Kulkarni KS. Evaluation of the efficacy and safety of Menosan in post-menopausal symptoms: a short-term pilot study. Obstetrics Gynaecology Today. 2002; 12: 727–730.
Mitra SK, Sunitha A, Kumar VV, Pooranesan R, Vijayalakshmi M. Evecare (U-3107) as a Uterine Tonic - Pilot Study. The Indian Practitioner. 1998; 51(4): 269.
Joglekar GV, Ahuja RHA, Balwani JH. Galactogogue effect of Asparagus racemosus. Indian Medical Journal. 1967; 165.
Garg R and Gupta VB. Adaptogenic activity of milk and aqueous decoction of Asparagus racemosus willd. In acute and chronic stress paradigms in mice. Journal of Cell and Tissue Research. 2010; 10: 2281-2286.
