“biochemical analysis of active ingredient’s in asparagus racemosus (shatavari) and its various...
DESCRIPTION
A most important Medicinal PlantTRANSCRIPT
LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY
PROJECT NAME:
“Biochemical Analysis of Active ingredient’s in Asparagus
Racemosus (Shatavari) and its various uses”
NAME OF STUDENTS:Neeraj Kumar Yadav
BATCH:2008
YEAR OF PASSING:2012
SECTION:B1RO7
REGISTRATION NO.:10807700
ROLL NO.:RB1RO7B27
ABSTRACT
Asparagus Racemosus is an important medicinal plant of tropical and subtropical India. Its
medicinal usage has been reported in the Indian and British Pharmacopoeias and in traditional
systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. Asparagus racemosus is one of the
important medicinal plants found in India, China and other parts of the world. This plant is
known to produce steroidal saponins called Shatavarins. In the present investigation,
alkaloid profiling of Asparagus racemosus plant samples, including roots, leaves and callus,
were performed which were collected from different localities. The Crude alkaloid fraction CAF
of samples suggest that roots are rich in alkaloid content as compared to leaves and callus. The
maximum CAF was obtained from the in vitro regenerated roots . The TLC analysis of all the
samples, including roots, leaves and callus, showed that roots are rich in saponins and they also
contain other alkaloids besides saponins. Callus tissues also contain saponins, but in the leave
samples alkaloids could not be estimated. However, saponins was detected in all the root and leaf
samples by TLC. The alkaloid profiling through TLC detected a number of alkaloids from all the
plant samples. The highest saponins content was obtained from the in vitro regenerated roots
and the least from the leaves.
Contents:
Introduction
Literature Review:
Geographical Distribution
Chemical Constituents
Cultivation
Recent Research
Extraction And Isolation
Materials And Methods
Alkaloid Confirmation
Estimation Of Alkaloids:
Results
Discussion
Pharmacological Applications Of Asparagus Racemosus
Conclusion
Uses & Benefits Of Asparagus
Reference:
Introduction
The World Health Organization (2003) has estimated that 80% of the population of developing
countries being unable to afford pharmaceutical drugs rely on traditional medicines, mainly plant
based, to sustain their primary health care needs. India is one of the most medico-culturally
diverse countries in the world where the medicinal plant sector is part of a time-honoured
tradition that is respected even today. Here, the main traditional systems of medicine include
Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. The earliest mention of the use of plants in medicine is found in
the Rigveda which was written between 4500 and 1600 BC. It is however in Ayurveda that the
specific properties of plants and their use as medicinal drugs has been dealt with in great detail.
‘Ayurveda’ literally translated means science of life . Ananthacharya (1939) in defining this
system of medicine said Ayurveda scrutinizes the subtle process of life, studies its nature, ways
and conditions of development and deduces there-from a universal course of conduct for man’s
guidance in life . Ayurveda has eight divisions dealing with different aspects of the art of
healing. These include kaya cikitsa (internal medicine), salya tantra (surgery), salakya tantra
(treatment of diseases of the head and neck region), agada tantra (toxicology), bhuta vidya
(management of mental ailments), bala tantra (pedi-atrics), rasayana tantra (rejuvenation therapy
and geriatrics) and vajikarana tantra (science of aphrodisiacs). Around 1250 plants are presently
used in various Ayurvedic formulations. Asparagus Racemosus Willd. is one such important
medicinal plant which is regarded as a ‘rasayana’ (plant drugs promoting general well being by
increasing cellular vitality and resistance) in the Ayurvedic system of medicine . Asparagus
Racemosus is an important medicinal plant of tropical and subtropical India. Its medicinal usage
has been reported in the Indian and British Pharmacopoeias and in traditional systems of
medicine such as Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha. Asparagus racemosus is one of the important
medicinal plants found in India, China and other parts of the world. This plant is known to
produce steroidal saponins called Saponinss. The hydro-alcoholic and aqueous extracts of
Asparagus racemosus were subjected to different chemical tests for the detection of
phytoconstituents such as carbohydrates, glycosides, alkaloids, proteins, amino acids,
tannins, phenolics, saponins, flavonoids, triterpenoids, steroids, fixed oils, gums and
mucilages.
Literature Review:
Cytotoxic, antioxidant, tyrosinase inhibitory, antimicrobial activities of the crude ethanol extract
of dry powdered roots of Asparagus racemosus (Liliaceae) were investigated. The root of A.
racemosus is a potential broad spectrum antibiotic. TLC and HPLC finger printing showed the
presence of steroids-terpenes, alkaloids and flavonoids.
Potduang et.al ,2008
Asparagus species (family Liliaceae) are medicinal plants of temperate Himalayas. They
possess a variety of biological properties, such as being antioxidants, immunostimulants, anti-
inflammatory, antihepatotoxic, antibacterial, antioxytocic, and reproductive agents. The article
briefly reviews the isolated chemical constituents and the biological activities of the plant
species. The structural formula of isolated compounds and their distribution in the species
studied are also given.
Negi et.al,2010
Reverse pharmacology approach to examine the plants for drug development is a viable
approach. To fully validate this approach, further clinical trials are needed to examine their
potential. It is anticipated that this approach will not be as expensive as currently used and the
compounds/drugs isolated will be safe. Also one must question why using a single chemical
compound is preferred as a drug as compare to extracts from the whole plants. Benefits of a
single chemical entity may be in convenience to understand its molecular mechanism. However,
it may not be beneficial to the patient when examined, in part, due to the possibility of
development of resistance to a single chemical entity. It is possible that when whole plant extract
or combination of plant extracts are used, it may exhibit improved bioavailability and lower
toxicity, as compared to single chemical entity.
Aggarwal et.al,2011
Asparagus racemosus is an herbaceous perennial plant. It is the most important rasayana herb in
Ayurvedic medicine which grows in low forest areas throughout India. Their medicinal
usages have been reported in indigenous systems of medicine, Indian and British
Pharmacopoeias. In Ayurveda, A. racemosus has been used extensively as an adaptogen to
increase the non,specific resistance of organisms against a variety of stress. A. racemosus plant
contain steroidal saponins, isoflavones, asparagamine and polysaccharides, which play a
major role in treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery. Roots and rhizomes of A. racemosus has
potent antioxidant, antitussive, antidyspepsia, antiulcer and anticancer activity. A. racemosus is
also useful as immunostimulant, galactogogue. The present article gives the detailed exploration
of phytochemistry, ethnopharmacology and bioactivity of A. racemosus, in an attempt to give a
direction for further research.
Vandana garg et.al,2008
Asparagus racemosus is mainly known for its phytoestrogenic properties. With an increasing
realization that hormone replacement therapy with synthetic oestrogens is neither as safe nor as
effective as previously envisaged, the interest in plant-derived oestrogens has increased
tremendously making Asparagus racemosus particularly important. The plant has been shown to
aid in the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders and in alcohol abstinence-induced
withdrawal symptoms. In Ayurveda, Asparagus racemosus has been described as a rasayana herb
and has been used extensively as an adaptogen to increase the non-specific resistance of
organisms against a variety of stresses. Besides use in the treatment of diarrhoea and dysentery,
the plant also has potent antioxidant, immunostimulant, anti-dyspepsia and antitussive effects.
Due to its multiple uses, the demand for Asparagus racemosus is constantly on the rise; however,
the supply is rather erratic and inadequate. Destructive harvesting, combined with habitat
destruction in the form of deforestation has aggravated the problem. The plant is now considered
‘endangered’ in its natural habitat. Therefore, the need for conservat ion of this plant is crucial.
This article aims to evaluate the biological activities, pharmacological applications and clinical
studies of Asparagus racemosus in an attempt to provide a direction for further research.
Keeping in mind the fact that it is the active principle that imparts medicinal value to a plant;
consistency in quality and quantity needs to be maintained to ensure uniform drug efficacy. Also,
deliberate or inadvertent adulteration needs to be dealt with at an early stage. To overcome these
prevalent problems, the availability of genetically superior and uniform planting material is
essential. This can be obtained by a combination of various biotechnological tools involving
chemoprofiling, tissue culture and use of molecular markers. Along with the application of these
methods, proper agro-techniques and adequate marketing opportunities would encourage
cultivation of Asparagus racemosus and thereby contribute to its conservation. There are also
several gaps in the existing literature with regard to the pharmacological actions of Asparagus
racemosus . These include an incomplete understanding about the interaction/synergy between
Asparagus racemosus and other plant constituents in polyherbal formulations; lack of
information regarding the mode of action of the various constituents of Asparagus racemosus ,
etc. Consequently, we have suggested a ‘systems biology’ approach that includes metabolite
profiling, metabolic fingerprinting, metabolite target analysis and metabonomics to enable
further research.
Nishritha Bopana ,et.al,2007
Authors report that Asparagus racemosus has an antimicrobial activity against common
pathogens, but when it is combined with Antibacterial drug like Roxythromycin, Cefixime
and Levofloxacin the combinations help in - inhibiting growth of Staphylococcus aureus,
Staphylococcus epidermis, Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis. However, these
combinations have powerful effect against bacteria with less side- effects. The medicinal
importance of the Asparagus racemosus in the prevention of aerobic and anaerobic bacterial
infections is obvious considering the growing number of these developing resistance
organisms to conventional antibiotics. Phytochemical Analysis of the Asparagus racemosus
helps to find out the presence of chemical constituents in the plant extract. In the present paper,
the status on the above mentioned combinations has been discussed.
M.R. PRAJAPATI,et.al,2011
Geographical distribution :
Asparagus Racemosus is distributed throughout tropical Africa, Java, Australia, India, Srilanka
and Southern parts of China. In India, It is found in tropical, sub tropical regions and in
Himalayas upto 1000 to 1500 m.
Chemical Constituents:
The chemical ingredients in the Shatavari plant, including steroidal saponins, isoflavones,
asparagamine (an alkaloid substance similar to aspirin), and polysaccharides, make this plant a
natural chemical source.The following active constituents are present is Shatavari plant:
Steroidal saponins, known as shatavarins I-IV. Shatavarin I is the major glycoside with 3 glucose
and rhamnose moieties attached to sarsasapogenin
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
Cultivation
Soils: The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils and requires well-
drained soil. Black, well drained and fertile soil is good for cultivation. But can be cultivated in
loose and medium black soil.
Climate- crop responses well to tropical and hot climate..
Irrigation: The tamarind is adapted to semiarid regions of the tropics and can withstand drought
conditions quite well. They require minimum irrigation so avoid over-watering..
Fertilization: one ploughing, three harrowings and then apply 20-25 tonns of farm yard manure.
Harvest: 1) raised beds -1x3 m in the month of May or june.
2) Seed –one kg for one hectare area.
3) Apply 50 gram urea in the bed after 20-25 days.
Seedlings become ready within 6-8 weeks for transplantation in the main field.
Transplanting- 1) Size of pit-45x45x45
2) spacing-row to row-1.5m and plant to plant-1.0m
3) Fill the pits with 20-30 gram lindane or carbaryl and 5 kgs of FYM
4) Time of transplanting – july-august
5) provide the crop with 50 gms of 15:5:15(suphala) per plant when it starts with good growth.
6) Carry out timely weeding operations. Generally shatavari crop does not affect with pest and
diseases.
Harvesting- 1) first harvesting – 1.5-2 years after transplanting, which continues for 10-15 years.
Male and female plants must be grown if seed is required.
Recent research
Michael Thomsen (2002) has done extensive research on this plant. He analysed the adaptogenic,
diuretic, antitussive (suppresses cough), antibacterial, immunological, digestive, antioxytocic,
hormonal, galactogogue (increase in female milk production) properties, toxicity and
cytoprotective effect of this plant on human body. He says that this plant acts as adaptogen,
antitussive, antioxidant, antibacterial, immunomodulator, digestive, cytoprotective,
galactogogue, anti-oxytocic (preventing the stimulation of the involuntary muscles of the
uterus), antispasmodic, antidiarrhoeal and sexual tonic in human body.
Materials And Methods
Extraction And Isolation
Purification or isolation of alkaloids from a plant is always difficult process because an alkaloids
bearing plant generally contains a complex mixture of several alkaloids with glycoside organic
acid also complicate the process. Following steps are involved in isolation process.
Extraction: -
Total alkaloid contents were estimated from different plant parts of Asparagus racemosus, (e.g.,
callus, leaves and roots) collected from different habitats as well as in vitro regenerated plants.
Hundred gram of powdered dry samples of Asparagus racemosus were soaked in 10.0 mL
methanol and left for 30 min. After 30 min, the soaked plant material was filtered. The residue
obtained after filtration is further dissolved in 5.0 mL methanol and filtered after 10 min, the
same step is repeated once again and the final filtrate is collected in 50 mL conical flask. The
extract was evaporated to dryness in the soxhlet evaporator. The crude extract was dissolved in
100 mL of 0.01 M HCl. The pH of filtered solutions were adjusted to 6.0 with 0.01 M NaOH.
The crude extracts obtained were used for TLC analysis. The crude extract obtained, was
concentrated to dryness to yield Crude Alkaloid Fraction (CAF). Flow Chart of extraction
Powdered Drug/ Macerated Plant
Light Petroleum ether.
Filtration.
Filtrate Plant residue
Evaporate 1. CH3OH (72 hrs. extraction)
2. Filtration
Fat 3Evaporate
Crude Plant extract
1. Dissolve Water
2. Acidify to pH-2
3. Steam distillation
4.Filter
Filtrate
Ether
Ether soluble Acid Solution
Evaporate Ether + NaOH
Basic Material
Aqueous residue Ether solution
Evaporate.
(Crude Alkaloids)
Alkaloid confirmation
Presence of alkaloids confirmed by doing following tests:
Mayer’s reagent [( solution A i.e Hgcl2 + d water) +solution B i.e KI + d water )] Created by
dissolving 1.358 grams of HgCl2 in 60 milliliters of water, and pouring the solution into a
solution of 5 grams of KI in 10 milliliters of water. Gave Cream coloured precipitates.
Wagner’s reagent (Iodine and KI in Distilled water). Prepared by dissolving 2g of iodine and 6g
of KI in 100ml of water. Specimen with Wagner's Reagent gave reddish brown precipitates.
Estimation of alkaloids:
TLC
Extractive values
(1) Alcohol soluble extractive value
Accurately weighed 5 gm coarse and air dried drug material was macerated with 100ml
ethanol (99%) in a stoppered flask for 24 hrs. with frequent shaking for 6 hrs. It was then filtered
rapidly through filter paper taking precautions to prevent excessive loss of ethanol. The volume
was made up to 100ml with ethanol. The residue was evaporated in a flat bottom shallow dish,
dried at 105 0C, weighed and kept in a desiccators. Average extractive value in
percentage w/w (on dry basis) was calculated with reference to air dried drug (Table-2).
Water soluble extractive value
5 gm coarse and air dried drug material was macerated with water in a stoppered flask for 24
hrs. with frequent shaking for first 6 hrs . The extract was filtered rapidly through filter paper
taking precaution to prevent excessive loss of solvent. The residue was evaporated in a flat
bottom shallow dish, dried at 105 0C weighed and kept in a desiccators. Average extractive
value in Percentage w/w (on dry weight basis) was calculated with reference to air dried
drug (Table-2).
Determination of total phenolics by spectral analysis
Phenolic substances all absorb UV light, and all of them have some absorbance at 280 nm. This
property can be used to determine phenolics by spectral analysis. One problem with this method is that
each class of phenolic substances has a different absorptivity (extinction coefficient, e) at 280 nm.
Thus, the results cannot be related to any specific standard and are reported directly in absorbance units
(AU).
Materials
Sample.
Filter membrane.
Cuvettes, transparent at 280 nm (e.g., quartz )
Spectrophotometer, set to 280 nm
1. Filter a sample or blank (deionized or distilled water) with a PTFE filter membrane or
other material to achieve clarity.Nylon or other membranes that absorb phenolics should not
be used. Membranes can be tested for phenolic absorption by comparing absorbance after
single and double filtration.
2. Transfer an appropriate volume of sample to a quartz cuvette and measure absorbance at
280 nm in a spectrophotometer. If absorbance is not within the acceptable precision of
the spectrophotometer (usually A < 2 AU), dilute sample as necessary and repeat.
3. Subtract absorbance of blank, and correct absorbance to original concentration and a 1-cm
cuvette path length. Subtract 4 AU to report final value.
For instance, if a sample is diluted ten-fold with water and a reading of 0.85 AU is
observed with a 2-mm cell, the correction would be as follows:
Total phenol = [A280 ×DF × (1 cm/b)] – 4
where DF is the dilution factor, b is the cell path length, and 4 is an arbitrary correction for non
phenolic absorbance.result in Table 3
4. Phytochemical Screening
The fresh bark was collected and dried in shade and r educed to coarse powder. The powdered
material was extracted with Petroleum ether, Chloroform, Ethanol and water in Soxhlet
apparatus. The extract was filtered hot and solvent removed by distillation under reduced
pressure . The percentage yield was calculated and the extract was further subjected to
Phytochemical tests for Alkaloids, Glycosides, Flavonoids ,Carbohydrates ,Tannins (Table-4).
5. Results and Discussion
Extractive values of alcohol and water extracts are given in Table-2. Phytochemical screening
shows the presence of carbohydrates, glycosides, Tannins and absence of alkaloids and
flavanoids Table-4. Rf value given for pet. Ether inTable-5, chloroform inTable-6, ethanol
Table-7 and water Table-8.
The Ficus arnottiana Miq, bark was defatted with Petroleum ether then extracted with
Chloroform and after that with ethanol solvent and Water in soxhlet apparatus. Moisture content
is zero in pet ether & chloroform, ethanol extract and 1% in aqueous extract found out by
Karl Fischer Reagent. Extractive values of absolute alcohol is 18% and water is 22%. The total
Ash value of the bark is 38. Phytochemical Screening shows presence of carbohydrate in pet
ether and chloroform extract extracts while absence in ethanol and aqueous extract, fats
and oils are positive in chloroform extract absence in other extract Steroids, Glycosides,
Saponins and alkaloids are present strongly in ethanol extract and chloroform extract while
marginally in aqueous extract. These are not found in pet ether extract phenolic, tannin, resin
compounds are strong l positive in ethanol extract. Thin Layer Chromatography of
Pet.Ether, chloroform, ethanol & aqueous extracts have been performed in different
solvent system of varying degree of polarity using silicagel G of TLC grade. In pet. ether and
aqueous extract only one compounds are extracted while in Chloroform extract four
compounds have been extracted and ethanol extract three compound have been extracted. This
shows that chemical constituents of Ficus arnottiana Miq. is extractable in semi polar solvent
ethanol extract.
Table- 4 Phytochemical screening of Ficus arnottiana Miq. :
ALKALOIDS
S.No. CHEMICAL TEST PET.ETHER1 CHLOROFORM ETHANOL WATER
A Dragendorff’s test - ++ + -
B Mayer’s test - ++ + -
C Wagner’s test + - - +
Key: strongly present ++
Present +
Absent -
Rf value determination: Rf value calculated using different solvent system for
different extracts of Ficus arnottiana Miq.
by TLC.
Table 5 Rf Values for Petrolieum ether extract by TLC:
S.No. Solvent Solvent front No. of spots Spot Rf Value
System height (cm) height (cm)
1. Chloroform:Methanol (7:3) 5.5 1 5.4 0.98
2. Methanol:Benzene (5:5) 5.2 - - -
3. Benzene:Ethyl acetate (9:1) 5 - - -
4. Benzene:Ethyl acetate (5:5) 5.9 1 5.7 0.96
5. n-Butenol:Acetic acid (5:4) 5.5 1 5.3 0.96
Table-6 Rf Values for Chloroform extract by TLC
S. No Solvent Solvent front No.of Spot Rf Value
system height (cm) spots height (cm)
1. Chloroform:Methanol (7:3) 5.4 4 1.5, 3.6, 3.7, 5.3, 0.27, 0.66, 0.68, 0.98
2. Methanol:Benzene (5:5) 5.7 2 4.2, 5.6 0.73, 0.98
3. Benzene:Ethyl acetate (9:1) 5.7 3 4.3, 2.8, 2.3 0.75, 0.49, 0.40
4. Benzene:Ethyl acetate (5:5) 5.6 2 1.1, 2.1 0.19, 0.37
5. n-Butenol:Acetic acid (5:4) 6.0 1 5.1 0.85
Table-7 Rf Values for Ethanolic extract by TLC
S. No Solvent Solvent front No.of Spot Rf Value
system height (cm) spots height (cm)
1. Chloroform:Methanol (7:3) 5.7 2 0.9, 5.2 0.15
2. Methanol:Benzene (5:5) 6 1 5.9 0.98
3. Benzene:Ethyl acetate (9:1) 5.8 - - -
4. Benzene:Ethyl acetate (5:5) 6.0 3 1.5, 2.1,2.5 0.25, 0.35, 0.41
5. n-Butenol:Acetic acid (5:4) 6.0 1 4.2 0.7
Table-8 Rf Values for Aqueous extract by TLC
S. No Solvent Solvent front No.of Spot Rf Value
system height (cm) spots height (cm)
1. Chloroform:Methanol (7:3) 5.7 1 1.3 0.22
2. Methanol:Benzene (5:5) 5.6 - - -
3. Benzene:Ethyl acetate (9:1) 5.7 - - -
4. Benzene:Ethyl acetate (5:5) 5.5 - - -
5. n-Butenol:Acetic acid (5:4) 6.0 1 5.2 0.86
Fig.1 Pet. Ether extract.
Fig.2 Chloroform extract.
Fig.3 Ethanolic extract.
Fig.4 Aqueous extract.
Table: 2 Extractive values of bark of Ficus arnottiana Miq.
S/No. Solvent used Average extractive value in % w/w on dry weight basis
1. Ethanol 18
2. (Absolute) Water 22
Table: 3 Phenolics content values of bark of Ficus arnottiana Miq.
S.No. Extract Phenolics content (AU)
1 Pet.ether Absence
2 Chloroform 451
3 Ethanol 263.5
4 Aqueous 418.5
S/No. Solvent used Average extractive value in % w/w on dry weight basis
RESULTS
The synthesis of Alkaloid is confermed.
Alkaloid profiling by thin layer chromatography (TLC):
TLC investigation showed the presence of steroids-terpenes, alkaloids and flavonoids (Table 2,
Figure)
Table 1: Rf values of chief constituents detected on TLC of 3 different extracts from the root
powder of A. racemosus
Zone Steroids-terpenes Alkaloids Flavonoids
Rf
value
visible colour
Rf
value
visible colour
Rf
value
UV-365nm
fluorescence
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
13-15
15-17
19-21
25-27
29-30
33-35
39-42
46-51
55-57
58-62
62-67
67-69
86-88
yellow
sky blue
grayish brown
yellow brown
brown
yellow
light gray
grayish purple
violet
violet
yellow
grayish blue
grayish yellow
55-57
orange-brown
0-3
52-56
sky blue
blue-green
Discussion
The CAF were reported to be higher in the roots as compared to the callus, regenerated in MS
medium which is in accordance to the earlier findings Alkaloid analysis by TLC showed that
saponins is the major alkaloid in the roots and present in all the three root samples as well as in
the callus tissues. Leaves of all the plants were found to be devoid of alkaloids or present in very
low amount, which is not detectable by TLC. The earlier reports also suggested that saponins is
the major component of roots in Asparagus racemosus. Zoning patterns of steroids-terpenes,
alkaloids and flavonoids on the TLC fingerprints were specific enough to be used for the
identification of A. racemosus root powder. The alkaloid profiling of different plant samples
envisage that the production of secondary metabolites by plants depends greatly on the
physiological and developmental stages of the plants. The synthetic capacity of de-differentiated
tissue often differs substantially from that of fully differentiated tissues, both qualitatively and
quantitatively, because of differences in the enzyme profiles which regulate the organ-specific
expression of the biosynthetic genes. The differentiated cultures often show biochemical and
genetic stability and hence, offers a predictable and high-productivity system which does not
require extensive optimization. The biosynthesis usually occurs in an organ in a tissue -specific
manner and is often temporally restricted during the development
Pharmacological applications of Asparagus Racemosus
Asparagus Racemosus has been used in Ayurveda as a galactagogue, aphrodisiac, anodyne,
diuretic, antispasmodic and nervine tonic since time immemorial. The plant finds use in about 64
ayurvedic formula-tions which include traditional formulations such as ‘Shatavari kalpa’,
‘Phalaghrita’, ‘Vishnu taila’, etc.. Abana® (containing 10 mg Satavari root extract per tablet),
Diabecon®(containing 20 mg Satavari root extract per tablet), EveCare®(containing 32 mg
Satavari root extract per 5 ml syrup), Geriforte®(containing 20 mg Satavari root powder per
tablet), Himplasia®(containing 80 mg Satavari root powder per tablet), Lukol®(containing 40
mg Satavari root extract per tablet) and Menosan®(containing 110 mg Satavari root extract per
tablet) are some formulations containing Asparagus Racemosus developed by Himalaya Herbal
Healthcare, India (Table 1).
Fig. 1. Active principles of Asparagus
Racemosus (I) Shatavarin, (II) Sarsasa-pogenin, (III) Racemosol and (IV) Asparagamine.
Effect on neurodegenerative disorders
In Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, excitotoxicity and oxidative stress are the major
mechanisms of neuronal cell death. Therefore, to combat neurodegenerative disorders, there is a
need for a compound that can retard or reverse this neuronal damage. Asparagus Racemosus is a
well-known nervine tonic in the Ayurvedic system of medicine. Parihar and Hemnani (2004)
conducted a study to investigate the potential of methanolic extract of Asparagus Racemosus
roots against kainic acid (KA)-induced hippocampal and striatal neuronal damage in mice. Intra-
hippocampal and intra-striatal injections of KA to anes-thetized mice resulted in the production
of excitotoxic lesions in the brain. After KA injection, impairment of hippocampus and striatal
regions of brain was observed accompanied by increased lipid peroxidation, increased protein
carbonyl content, decreased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and reduced glutathione
(GSH) content. GSH is an important antioxidant which acts as a nucleophilic scavenger of toxic
compounds and as a substrate in the GPx-mediated destruction of hydroperox-ides which would
otherwise accumulate to toxic levels in brain tissues. The mice treated with Asparagus
Racemosus extract showed an enhancement in GPx activity and GSH content, and reduction in
membranal lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl. They concluded that the plant extract plays
the role of an antiox-idant by attenuating free radical induced oxidative damage. ‘EuMil’, a
polyherbal formulation containing the stan-dardized extracts of Withania somnifera , Ocimum
sanctum , Asparagus Racemosus and Emblica officinalis was evaluated for its anti-stress activity
in rats (Bhattacharya et al., 2002). Chronic electroshock stress for 14 days was found to increase
the rat brain tribulin activity and decrease the monoamine neuro-transmitter levels. ‘EuMil’
treatment normalized the perturbed nor-adrenalin, dopamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine
concentra-tions and also attenuated the tribulin activity. ‘Mentat’, a herbal psychotropic
preparation containing Asparagus Racemosus has been found to be effective in the treat-ment of
alcohol abstinence induced withdrawal symptoms such as tremors, convulsions, hallucinations
and anxiety in ethanol administered rats (Kulkarni and Verma, 1993) due to its anticon-vulsant
and anxiogenic action. However, it is unlikely that these are the only reasons for its de-addiction
potential and therefore can be examined further. Neurological and psychiatric disorders together
account for more chronic suffering than all other disorders combined (Cowan and Kandel, 2001).
Treating these problems however, remains a challenging field in medical science. Keeping in
mind the encouraging leads and the limited data regarding the use of Asparagus Racemosus in
treating neurological disorders; more studies need to be conducted to fully exploit the potential
of Satavari in this area.
Anti-diarrhoeal effects
Diarrhoea has long been recognized as one of the most important health problems faced globally
particularly by the population of developing countries. Each year diarrhoea is esti-mated to kill
about 2.2 million people globally, a majority of whom are infants and children below the age of
5 years (WHO, 2005). Nanal et al. (1974) found Satavari to be extremely effective in the
treatment of Atisar (diarrhoea), Pravahika (dysentery) and Pittaj shool (gastritis) as described in
Ayurvedic texts such as Sushruta Samhita and Sharangdhar Samhita . Ethanol and aque-ous
extracts of Asparagus Racemosus roots exhibited significant anti-diarrhoeal activity against
castor oil induced diarrhoea in rats demonstrating an activity similar to loperamide .The release
of ricinoleic acid from castor oil results in inflammation and irritation of the intestinal mucosa
caus-ing the release of prostaglandins which stimulate motility and secretion. It is well known
that ‘prostaglandin E’ causes diar-rhoea in experimental animals and human beings. Therefore,
the action of this extract can be attributed to the inhibition of prostaglandin biosynthesis which in
turn inhibits gastro-intestinal motility and secretion. Since the Asparagus Racemosus root extract
is composed of saponins, alkaloids, flavonoids, sterols and terpenes; further analysis is needed to
identify the exact phytoconstituent(s) that imparts the anti-diarrhoeal action.
Anti-dyspepsia effects
Asparagus Racemosus also finds use in Ayurveda in the treat-ment of dyspepsia. The plant was
found to have an effect comparable to a modern allopathic drug metoclopramide which is a
dopamine antagonist used in dyspepsia to reduce gastric emptying time. In this study, 2 g
powdered root of Asparagus Racemosus was compared to a standard treatment of
metoclopramide (10 mg tablet) in eight normal healthy male vol-unteers, and the gastric
emptying halftime was observed. There was no statistically significant difference between the
actions of Asparagus Racemosus and metoclopramide. They hypoth-esized that Satavari might
be a mild dopamine agonist. This isolated study merely supports the use of Satavari in traditional
Ayurvedic medicine as an anti-dyspeptic drug. It does not elabo-rate its mechanism of action
which can be an avenue for further research.
Cardio protective effects
Increase in serum lipid levels especially cholesterol along with the generation of reactive oxygen
species are the major reasons for the development of coronary artery disease and atherosclerosis.
‘Abana’, a herbo-mineral formulation contain-ing 10 mg Asparagus Racemosus extract per
tablet, was found to have significant hypocholesterolaemic effect in rats and there-fore
demonstrated a potential for use as a cardio-protective agent . They found that the total choles-
terol, phospholipids and triglyceride levels were significantly lower (37–45%) as against the
control. Since ‘Abana’ is a poly-herbal formulation, further research needs to be conducted on
the exact role that the Asparagus Racemosus component plays in the hypolipidaemic action.
Asparagus Racemosus has also been investigated for the reduction of cholesterol levels in
hypercholesteremic rats by Visavadiya and Narasimhacharya (2005). They found that Asparagus
Racemosus root powder supplements decreased lipid peroxidation and caused a dose-dependent
reduction in lipid profiles. The total lipids, total cholesterol and triglycerides in plasma and liver
as well as plasma LDL (low-density lipopro-tein) and VLDL (very low-density lipoprotein)-
cholesterol decreased by more than 30%. Though it can be hypothesized that the
hypercholesteremia is alleviated by decreasing exogenous cholesterol absorption and increasing
conversion of endogenous cholesterol to bile acid; more research needs to be conducted to
comprehend the mechanism of action responsible for this action.
Anti-bacterial effects
In an isolated study, different concentrations of the methanol extract of the roots of Asparagus
Racemosus have also shown considerable antibacterial efficacy under in vitro con-ditions against
Escherichia coli , Shigella dysenteriae , Shigella sonnei, Shigella flexneri , Vibrio cholerae ,
Salmonella typhi , Salmonella typhimurium , Pseudomonas putida , Bacillus sub-tilis and
Staphylococcus aureus (Mandal et al., 2000b). The antibacterial effect of Asparagus Racemosus
may also be play-ing a secondary role in its action with respect to other functions of the plant as
well and therefore needs to be studied in greater detail.
Immunoadjuvant effects
The immunoadjuvant potential of Asparagus Racemosus was studied in experimental animals
immunized with diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTP) vaccine. After challenge, animals
treated daily with Asparagus racemo-sus aqueous root extract (100 mg/kg body weight) showed
a significant increase (p = 0.0052) in antibody titres to Bordetella pertussis as against the
untreated animals. Reduced mortality coupled with overall improved health status was observed
in treated animals and this indicated the development of a protec-tive immune response. Extracts
and formulations prepared from Asparagus race-mosus exhibited various
immunopharmacological actions such as increases in white cell counts, haemagglutinating and
haemolytic antibody titres in cyclophosphamide (CP)-treated mouse ascitic. CP is widely used in
the treatment of a variety of malignant and non-malignant immunopathological disorders and has
several side effects such as leucopenia, anaemia, etc. Since macrophages play an important role
in the development of intraperitoneal adhesions, the modulation of macrophage activity would
pro-vide a new approach for the prevention and management of post-operative adhesions.
Asparagus Racemosus being reported to be an immunomodulator and immunostimulant,
significantly decreased the adhesion scores by increasing macrophage phago-cytosis by more
than 50% in experimental animals treated with the plant extract. It was demonstrated that a
combination of Asparagus Racemosus , Withania som-nifera and Tinospora cordifolia extracts
protected mice against CP induced neutropenia. Pre-treatment for 15 days with these drugs
produced a striking leucocytosis with a predominant neu-trophilia. The leucopenia and
specifically neutropenia induced by CP was significantly reduced by the plant extract. The total
WBC and absolute neutrophil counts following the treatment with Asparagus Racemosus had
risen very high (18800 ± 2001, 13366 ± 501.96, respectively) such that the percentage fall after
CP administration (63.77% total counts, 58.13% neu-trophil counts) was greater than that in the
control group (43.78%, 25.18%, respectively) (Dhuley, 1997). In addition, it was found that
Asparagus Racemosus , Withania somnifera and Tinospora cordifolia along with Picrorhiza
kurrooa significantly inhibited carcinogen ochratoxin-induced suppression of chemo-tactic
activity and production of interleukin-1 and TNF-by macrophages (Thatte et al., 1987). The role
of Asparagus Racemosus as an immunoadjuvant in traditional therapy is well documented and
therefore it can be applied to evade the toxic side effects of synthetic chemothera-peutic drugs
without compromising on its anti-tumour activity. Interestingly, in Ayurvedic medicine, AIDS is
thought to be a disease of decreased ‘ojas’, defined as the essential energy of the body. Satavari
is said to aid in the formation of ‘ojas’ and has been used in immune therapy (Canadian AIDS
Treatment N. Bopana, S. Saxena / Journal of Ethnopharmacology 110 (2007) 1–15 11
Information Exchange, 2005). It is in situations like these that the function of Asparagus
Racemosus as an immunoadjuvant can be scrutinized for use in adjuvant therapy in the
management of HIV.
Antitussive effects
In yet another isolated report the methanol extract of Aspara-gus racemosus roots showed
significant antitussive activity on sulphur dioxide induced cough in mice with the cough
inhibition being comparable to that of 10–20 mg/kg of codeine phosphate (Mandal et al., 2000a).
This action has not been well documented and can be worked upon further.
Challenges in conservation and sustainable use of Asparagus Racemosus
Due to its multiple uses, the demand for Asparagus racemo-sus is constantly on the rise; however
the supply is rather erratic and inadequate. Destructive harvesting combined with habitat
destruction in the form of deforestation adds to the magnitude of the problem. All of this has
resulted in the drastic shrinkage of its population. In nature, the species is propagated through
seeds in March–April. Apart from this method, Aspara-gus racemosus can also be propagated
vegetatively but this is a very slow and laborious technique. Irrespective of the mode of
propagation the plant is ready for harvesting only by the third year. Hence, this is not an effective
solution to meet the growing demand for this plant. Considering the escalating demands of the
market for a continuous and uniform supply of the plant material, and the increasing depletion of
the forest resource base, cultivation of the plant rather than collection from wild will be an
effective strategy. However, the basis for a sound conservation strategy would lie not only in
increasing the area under cultivation, but also in attaining greater productivity to ensure
reasonably higher financial returns to the growers.
Uses & Benefits of Asparagus
I. The roots are useful in nervous disorders, dyspepsia, tumors, scalding of urine, throat
infections, tuberculosis, cough bronchitis and general debility.
II. It helps with nervousness, pain, restless sleep, disturbing dreams and people with weak
emotional and physical heart.
III. The herb is useful for treating anorexia, insomnia, hyperactive children and people who
are under-weight.
IV. Asparagus is considered as a rejuvenating female tonic for overall health and vitality.
V. Satawari is used for treating sexual debility, infertility in both the sexes, and menopausal
symptoms and increases milk secretion during lactation.
VI. The herb is useful in pregnancy for threatened abortion.
VII. It is useful for the treatment of ulcerative disorders of stomach and Parinama Sula,
clinical entity akin to the duodenal ulcer diseases.
VIII. The paste of fresh leaves is used to apply on the burning sensation of the skin in
smallpox and bullae.
IX. The fresh juice of the roots, mixed with honey, helps in reducing the burning sensation
pain in tumors, due to pitta.
X. Asparagus proves to be an effective demulcent for the dry and inflamed membranes of
the lungs, stomach, kidneys and sexual organs.
XI. The herb is also an extremely nutritious tonic for women from menarche to menopause.
XII. Since it increases the urinary output, it is beneficial in urinary stones and Dysurea.
XIII. Asparagus is anabolic to uterus and thus, helpful in uterine hypoplasia in young girls.
XIV. It improves uterine growth, mitigates dysmenorrheal and menorrhagia, augments fertility
and imparts anabolic properties.
XV. The herb works as a rejuvenative to improve eyesight, when consumed for a prolonged
duration.
XVI. When taken with a cup of saffron milk, asparagus is good for post-menopausal women.
XVII. It curbs the intensity of the bronchospasms and decreases the frequency of paroxysms.
XVIII. Conclusion
XIX. The pharmacological studies conducted on Asparagus race-mosus indicate the immense
potential of this plant in the treatment of conditions such as menopausal symptoms,
neurode-generative disorders, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, etc. However, gaps in the studies
conducted are apparent which need to be bridged in order to exploit the full medicinal
potential of Asparagus Racemosus . Since most drugs containing Satavari that are
available in the market are in the form of polyherbal formulations, it is difficult to
attribute a particular medicinal action as being solely due to the Asparagus Racemosus
component of the drug. Aside from possible synergistic effects existing among the plant
extract constituents, another likelihood could be the formation of ‘pro-drugs’ which are
defined as compounds activated in the body after the administration of a particular
medicineWhile most of the research has been in vivo which has helped to validate the
applicability on the human system; in vitro stud-ies would have facilitated a better
understanding of the mode of action of Asparagus Racemosus . Due to the non-
availability of commercial Shatavarin standards, most studies first involve the extraction
and purification of the active principle to be used as a reference standard which makes the
process more cumber-some. The availability of authentic metabolite standards would not
only hasten secondary metabolite assays but also make the results more reliable and
reproducible. All of these issues can be addressed by adopting a ‘systems biology’
approach wherein a very large number of com-ponents (at the levels of genome,
transcriptome, proteome or metabolome as well as physiological parameters such as
blood pressure, etc.) are catalogued and statistical methods are used to infer correlations
to understand mechanisms of action. A key technology in systems biology is
‘metabolomics’. Metabolomics refers to the exhaustive profiling (identifica-tion, analysis
and quantification) of the ‘metabolome’ which includes all the metabolites in a cell. It is a
complex inter-disciplinary field of research that requires a combination of bioscience,
analytical chemistry, organic chemistry, chemomet-rics and informatics. Strategies for
metabolomics analysis can include the metabolite profil-ing of Asparagus Racemosus by
identification and quantification of pre-defined metabolites by chromatographic
separations (by high performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatogra-phy, and
electrophoresis) followed by spectroscopic detection (by mass spectrometry or nuclear
magnetic-resonance spec-trometry). Metabolic fingerprinting should be done for sample
classification purposes to ensure purity and avoid deliberate or inadvertent adulteration
with material from other Aspara-gus species.
Reference:
Buppachart Potduang, Maneerat Meeploy, Rattanasiri Giwanon, Yaowaluck Benmart, Montree
Kaewduang and Winai Supatanakul,2008 “BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF ASPARAGUS
RACEMOSUS” , Pharmaceuticals and Natural Products Department ,Thailand Institute of
Scientific and Technological Research.
J. S. Negi, P. Singh, G. P. Joshi, M. S. Rawat, and V. K. Bisht,2010, “Chemical constituents of
Asparagus”, Department of Chemistry, HNB Garhwal University, Srinagar, Garhwal, and Herbal
Research and Development Institute, Gopeshwar, Uttarakhand, India
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