Asparagus racemosus WILLD

Family : Liliaceae

Synonym(s) : Asparagus sarmentosus, Asparagus gonoclados, Asparagus adscendens

English Name : Wild Asparagus

Origin : India

Description

It is an under-shrub, climbs up to 1 to 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 to 6 in a node, slender, finely acuminate, 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.

Habitat

Forests of tropical and subtropical areas of India.
Parts Used : Root, leaf, flower, bark, aerial part and plant itself

Herb Effects

Anticancer, alleviates spasms and antiarrythmic (aerial part); aphrodisiac, hypothermic and galactogenic (root); antibacterial and antifungal (bark); antioxytocic and diuretic (plant); antiallergic (root extract).

Active Ingredients

Shatavarins I-IV (plant); diosgenin and a flavonoid glycoside (leaf); quercetin (flower); rutin (flower and leaf); Aloin (gel).

Medicinal Use

For stimulating the secretion and/or flow of milk (root); as a demulcent (plant); is useful in tumors, inflammations, diseases of blood and eye, throat complaints, tuberculosis, leprosy, epilepsy, night blindness and kidney troubles.

Dosage

Decoction, powder, ghee, oil; for serious diseases like cancer, use one or more ounces daily.
1:2 root extract in 25% alcohol: 30-60 ml per week.

Reference

1. Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India. 1985. The wealth of India: a dictionary of Indian raw materials and industrial products. Raw materials (revised edition). New Delhi. (Wealth India RM ed2) 1:470–471.
2. Dalvi SS, Nadkarni PM, Gupta KC. Effect of Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari) on gastric emptying time in normal healthy volunteers. J Postgrad Med 1990;36:91-4.
3. Dassanayake, M. D. & F. R. Fosberg, eds. 1980–. A revised handbook to the flora of Ceylon. (F Ceylon)
4. Duke, J. A. et al. 2002. CRC Handbook of medicinal herbs. (CRC MedHerbs ed2)
5. Fellingham, A. C. & N. L. Meyer. 1995. New combinations and a complete list of Asparagus species in southern Africa (Asparagaceae). Bothalia 25:208.
6. Goyal RK, Singh J, Harbans Lal, 2003, Asparagus racemosus--an update. Indian Journal of Medical Science, 57 : 9 : 408-14.
7. Manandhar NP. Plants and People of Nepal Timber Press. Oregon, 2002 ISBN 0-88192-527-6.
8. Oketch-Rabah HA. Phytochemical Constituents of the Genus Asparagus and their biological activities. Hamdard 1998;41:33-43.
9. Shao YU, Poobsasert O, Kennelly EJ, Chin CK, Ho CT, Huang MT, Garrison sA, Cordell GA. Steroidal saponins from Asparagus officinalis and their cytotoxic activity. Planta Medica 1997;63:258-62.
10. Sharma, Classical Uses of Medicinal Plants.
11. Singh KP, Singh RH. Clinical trial on Satavari (Asparagus racemosus Willd.) in duodenal ulcer disease. J Res Ay Sid 1986;7:91-100.
12. Uniyal et al., Medicinal Flora of Garhwal Himalayas.