SHATAVARI (ASPARAGUS RACEMOSUS WILD): A REVIEW ON ITS CULTIVATION, MORPHOLOGY, PHYTOCHEMISTRY AND PHARMACOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE

Abstract

Asparagus racemosus, a climbing Ayurvedic plant, is known for its numerous activities such as hyperlipidemia, hypertension, angina, dysmenorrhea, anxiety disorders, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), leucorrhoea and urinary tract infections. This plant possesses a wide range of secondary metabolites inclusive of steroids, alkaloids, dihydrophenanthrene derivatives, flavonoids, furan derivatives and essential oils. Information from the literature suggests that, the major constituents of A. racemosus are steroidal saponins which are mainly responsible for different biological activities of A. racemosus. The review summarizes the information concerning the cultivation, morphology, phytochemistry, biological activities, safety profile, marketing status and conservation techniques of A. racemosus .