There are many species of asparagus, including asparagus officinalis which has asparagosides. Asparagus racemosus is a member of the same family as the common asparagus. Asparagus racemosus Willd (family Liliaceae) is commonly known as Shatavari. See Ayurvedic herbs for a list of herbs used in Ayurvedic medicine.

Enzymatic Therapy - buy Asparagus Extract, 60 Capsules

Asparagus extract Supplement Facts:
Serving Size 1 capsule
Asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) 170 mg**
     Rhizome Extract - Standardized to contain 4% asparagosides

Recommendations: One asparagus capsule in the morning and lunch.
* Asparagus extract daily value not established.

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Twice a month we Email you a brief abstract of several new studies on various supplements and natural medicine topics and their practical interpretation by Ray Sahelian, M.D. We will mention research updates on Asparagus extract health benefits as we come across them.

 

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Historical uses
Asparagus racemosus is recommended in Ayurvedic texts for prevention and treatment of gastric ulcers, dyspepsia and as a galactogogue - for the production of breast milk in nursing mothers. Asparagus racemosus has also been used successfully by some Ayurvedic practitioners for nervous disorders, inflammation, liver diseases and certain infectious diseases.

Studies with Asparagus Racemosus
I cannot find any studies published in the western medical literature regarding the use of root extract of Asparagus racemosus in humans. Rare reports are available demonstrating beneficial effects of alcoholic and water extracts of the root of Asparagus racemosus in some clinical conditions and experimentally induced diseases, e.g. galactogogue effect, antihepatotoxic and immune modulating activities.

Asparagus racemosus for ulcer treatment
Antisecretory and antiulcer activity of Asparagus racemosus Willd. ( Shatavari ) against indomethacin plus phyloric ligation-induced gastric ulcer in rats.
J Herb Pharmacother. 2006;6(1):13-20. Bhatnagar M, Sisodia SS. Department of Zoology, University College of Science, MLS University, Udaipur-313001, India.
Drs Bhatnagar and Sisodia studied the antisecretory and antiulcer activity of Asparagus racemosus Willd. ( Shatavari methanolic extract) and its action against indomethacin (a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) plus pyloric ligation (PL)-induced gastric ulcers in rats. Treatment with Asparagus racemosus crude extract (100 mg/kg/day orally) for fifteen days significantly reduced ulcer index when compared with control group. Asparagus racemosus was found to be an effective antiulcerogenic agent, whose activity can well be compared with that of ranitidine hydrochloride. The results of this study suggest that Asparagus racemosus causes an inhibitory effect on release of gastric hydrochloric acid and protects gastric mucosal damage.

Asparagus racemosus on mammary gland and genital organs
Effect of Asparagus racemosus rhizome ( Shatavari) on mammary gland and genital organs of pregnant rat.
Phytother Res. 2005 Aug;19(8):721-4.Click here to read Links
Pandey SK, Sahay A, Pandey RS, Tripathi YB.

Department of Anatomy, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, India. pandeyskbhu@rediffmail.com

Asparagus racemosus (AR) Willd (family Liliaceae) is commonly known as Shatavari. The alcoholic extract of its rhizome was administered orally to adult pregnant female albino rats at a dose of 30 mg/100 g body weight, daily for 15 days (days 1-15 of gestation). The macroscopic findings revealed a prominence of the mammary glands, a dilated vaginal opening and a transversely situated uterine horn in the treated group of animals. The weight of the uterine horns of the treated group was found to be significantly higher (p < 0.001) but the length was shorter (p > 0.01). Microscopic examination of the treated group showed proliferation in the lumen of the duct of mammary gland. It was obliterated due to hypertrophy of ductal and glandular cells. Hyperplasia of the glandular and muscular tissue and hypertrophy of the glandular cells were observed in the genital organs. The parenchyma of the genital organs showed abundant glycogen granules with dilated blood vessels and thickening of the epithelial lining. The oviduct in the treated group showed hypertrophied muscular wall, whereas the ovary revealed no effect of the drug. The results suggest an oestrogenic effect of Shatavari on the female mammary gland and genital organs.

Asparagus Racemosus Root - Shatavari - Research Update
Nor-lignans and steroidal saponins from Asparagus gobicus.
Planta Med. 2004 May;70(5):446-51.
From the roots of Asparagus gobicus, four new nor-lignans, 3'-methoxynyasin, iso-agatharesinol, gobicusins A, B and one new steroidal saponin, 3-O-[beta-D-xylopyranosyl(1-4)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl(1-2)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-(25S)-5beta-spirostan-3beta-ol (11) were isolated, together with twelve known compounds. The structures of the new compounds were established by spectroscopic methods including 2D-NMR techniques (1H-1H COSY, HMBC, HMQC) and chemical transformations. Nyasol (5) and 11 exhibited remarkable in vitro cytotoxic activity against cultured HO-8910 (human ovarian carcinoma) and Bel-7402 (human hepatoma) cells with IC50 vales of 30.6 and 29.4 microM, 5.2 and 5.2 microM, respectively.

Immunoadjuvant potential of Asparagus racemosus aqueous extract in experimental system.
J Ethnopharmacol. 2004 Apr;91(2-3):251-5.
The immunoadjuvant potential of Asparagus racemosus (Willd.) Family (Liliaceae) aqueous root extract was evaluated in experimental animals immunized with diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTP) vaccine. Immunostimulation was evaluated using serological and hematological parameters. Oral administration of test material at 100 mg/kg per day dose for 15 days resulted significant increase in antibody titers to Bordtella pertussis as compared to untreated (control) animals. Immunized animals (treated and untreated) were challenged with B. pertussis 18323 strain and the animals were observed for 14 days. Results indicate that the treated animals did show significant increase in antibody titers as compared to untreated animals after challenge. Immunoprotection against intra-cerebral challenge of live B. pertussis cells was evaluated based on degree of sickness, paralysis and subsequent death. Reduced mortality accompanied with overall improved health status was observed in treated animals after intra-cerebral challenge of B. pertussis indicating development of protective immune response. Present study indicates applications of test material as potential immunoadjuvant that also offers direct therapeutic benefits resulting in less morbidity and mortality.

Bioactive constituents from Asparagus cochinchinensis.
J Nat Prod. 2004 Feb;67(2):194-200.
Bioassay-directed fractionation of the dried roots of Asparagus cochinchinensis led to the isolation of a new spirostanol saponin, asparacoside (1), two new C-27 spirosteroids, asparacosins A (2) and B (3), a new acetylenic derivative, 3' '-methoxyasparenydiol (4), and a new polyphenol, 3'-hydroxy-4'-methoxy-4'-dehydroxynyasol (6), as well as five known phenolic compounds, asparenydiol (5), nyasol (7), 3' '-methoxynyasol (8), 1,3-bis-di-p-hydroxyphenyl-4-penten-1-one (9), and trans-coniferyl alcohol (10). Compounds 1, 6, and 8 demonstrated moderate cytotoxicities in a panel comprised of KB, Col-2, LNCaP, Lu-1, and HUVEC cells, with IC(50) values ranging from 4 to 12 microg/mL. The structures were determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods.

Experimental excitotoxicity provokes oxidative damage in mice brain and attenuation by extract of Asparagus racemosus.
J Neural Transm. 2004 Jan;111(1):1-12. Epub 2003 Dec 3.
Excitotoxicity and oxidative stress are the major mechanisms of neuronal cell death in neurodegenerative disorders that occurs in both Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are generated extracellularly and intracellularly by various mechanisms are among the major risk factors that initiate and promote neurodegeneration. Therefore, it is important to find the compound which retard or reverse the neuronal injury. We designed this study to investigate the potential of extract of Asparagus racemosus against kainic acid (KA)-induced hippocampal and striatal neuronal damage. The dose of Asparagus racemosus extract given to experimental animals was based on the evaluation of its total antioxidant activity. Extract of AR displayed potent reductant of Fe(3+). The excitotoxic lesion in brain was produced by intra-hippocampal and intra-striatal injections of kainic acid (KA; 0.25 microg in a volume of 0.5 microl) to ketamine and xylazine (200 and 2 mg/kg b.w. respectively) anesthetized mice. The results showed impairment of hippocampus and striatal regions of brain after KA injection marked by an increase in lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl content and decline in glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity and reduced glutathione (GSH) content. The Asparagus racemosus extract supplemented mice displayed an improvement in GPx activity and GSH content and reduction in membranal lipid peroxidation and protein carbonyl. We show that the minimizing effect of Asparagus racemosus extract on oxidative damage in addition to the elevation of GPx activity and GSH content could eventually result in protective effect on the KA-induced excitotoxicity.

Asparagus questions
Q. Can an asparagus supplement be taken the same day as mangosteen or lipoic acid supplements?
     A. I don't see why not.

Asparagus Root Extract 4%~10 Asparagoside