This document provides information about the medicinal plant Satavar (Asparagus racemosus) including its uses, pharmacological properties, chemical profile, and authentication. It discusses that Satavar is used in Ayurveda to promote fertility and vitality. The document summarizes the plant's scientific classification, morphological features, microscopy, active components including saponins, uses such as increasing milk production, and potential adulterants.

1. Source (including alternative/ controversial)
medicinal uses, pharmacological action/activity,
chemical profile and authentication of
Satavar (Asparagus racemosus)
Assignment of
Pharmacognosy & Phytochemistry- IV
PHS CC-8103
Session 2020-21
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences
Dr. Harisingh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, (M.P.)
(A Central University)
of
1 8
Supervisors:
Prof. Umesh K. Patil
Mr. Rakesh Kashyap
Submitted by:
Miss Shakshi Gupta
Y17150144

2. Content
Genera Introduction
More about Satavar (Asparagus racemosus)
Plant habitat
Scienti
fi
c classi
fi
cation
Macroscopic studies
Microscopic studies
Active Principles/ Phytochemistry
Uses
Adulteration
Conclusion
of
2 8

3. INTRODUCTION
The Indian knowledge of herbal medicines is gaining wide spread acceptance
globally. In Ayurveda, almost all medicinal preparations are derived from plants.
Herbs and plants are valuable not only for their active ingredients but also for their
minerals, vitamins, volatile oils, glycosides, alkaloids, acids, alcohols, esters etc.
Higher plants, as sources of medicinal compounds continue to play a dominant role in
maintenance of human health since antiquities. Over 50% of all modern clinical drugs
are naturally originated and natural products play an important role in drug
development program of the pharmaceutical industry
.
The Folk medicine in various countries gives rise to traditional system of medicine
such as Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani. From folk medicine and traditional system the
medicinal plants were adopted in to modern system of medicines after they have been
found as effective drugs through chemical and pharmacological screening
.
SATAVAR (Asparagus racemosus )
Plants have been used for medicinal application ever since man began caring for his
body and health. For centuries, the world has been dependent on the properties of
plants as a source of healing. Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy continue to
depend predominantly on medicinal plants as raw material for formulation of crude
drugs. Central Council for research in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS) have been
conducting research on medicinal plants mentioned in classical text of Ayurveda for
the last 3 decades.
Shatavari means “who possesses a hundred husbands or acceptable to many”. It is
considered both a general tonic and a female reproductive tonic. Shatavari may be
translated as “100 spouses”, implying its ability to increase fertility and vitality. In
Ayurveda, this amazing herb is known as the “Queen of herbs”, because it promotes
of
3 8

4. love and devotion. Shatavari is the main Ayurvedic rejuvenative tonic for the female,
as is Withania for the male. Asparagus racemosus (family Asparagaceae) also known
by the name Shatavari is one of the well known drugs in Ayurveda, effective in
treating madhur rasam, madhur vipakam, seet- veeryam, som rogam, chronic fever
and internal heat.
Plant Habitat:
Asparagus racemosus is common throughout Sri Lanka, India and the Himalayas.
It grows one to two meters tall and prefers to take root in gravelly, rocky soils high up
in piedmont plains, at 1300-1400 m elevation. Its habitat is common at low altitudes
in shade and in tropical climates throughout Asia, Australia and Africa. Out of
several species of Asparagus grown in India, A. racemosus is most commonly used in
indigenous medicine.
In order to select the genuine plant species of the drug pharmacognostical identity of
the plant is necessary through a taxonomical and anatomical screening. The majority
of information on the identity, purity and quality of the plant can be obtained from
macroscopy, microscopy and physicochemical parameters.
Scienti
fi
c classi
fi
cation
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade:Monocots
Order: Asparagales
Family: Asparagaceae
Subfamily: Asparagoideae
Genus: Asparagus
Species: A. racemes
of
4 8

5. Macroscopic Study
Asparagus racemosus is a woody climber growing to 1-2 m in height. The leaves are
like pine needles, small and uniform and
fl
owers are white and have small spikes.
This plant belongs to the genus Asparagus which has recently moved from the sub
family Asparagus in the family Liliaceae to a newly created family Asparagaceae.
The leaves (cladodes) are like pine needles, small and uniform and
fl
owers are white
and have small spikes.
a) Leaf blade - triangular in transverse section
b) Margin – not visibl
e
c) Taste- Sweet and bitte
r
d) Odour - Characteristic
Microscopic Study
The plant bears thin cylindrical climbing stem which bears thin membranous scaly
leaves and a cluster of curved
fi
nger like greenish photosynthetic organs called
cladodes or phyllodades. In cross section view the phyllodades appear 4 angled or 3
angled with lateral projection. The rectangular phyllodades is about 400 μm thick. It
consists of thick and wide radially oblong epidermal cells with fairly prominent
cuticle. The epidermal cell are 40 μm thick. Inner to the epidermis is 2 or 3 layer of
circular, chlorophyllous palisade cells. Inner to the palisade zone occurs 1 or 2 layer
of thin walled parenchyma cells. The vascular system consist of a thick circular
cylinder of
fi
bers enclosing two small vascular elements. The vascular strands have
small cluster of 2 or more wide, angular xylem elements and a thick mass of phloem
elements The bundle sheath
fi
bers are heavily thick walled and ligni
fi
ed with narrow
lumen. The xylem elements are 30 μm in diameter. The
fi
bro vascular system is 220
μm in diameter. The stomata are sunken in the epidermis in section. There are 2
conical stomatal ledges on the outer and inner side of the stoma.
of
5 8

6. Active Principles/ Phytochemistry
The shatavari contains four steroidal saponins usually designated as shatavarin I-IV
present collectively to the extent of 0.2%; however, shatavarin I is the major
glycoside present.
Figure - Chemical Structure of shatavarin
of
6 8

7. Uses
• The roots are employed mostly as galactagogue to promote the
fl
ow of milk.
• The roots are used invariably as tonic and diuretic.
• The steroidal saponin Shatavarin-I is reported to exert antioxytocic activity.
• The roots are extensively employed as a medicinal oil for the control and
management of nervine disorders and rheumatism.
• In the Ayurvedic System of Medicine it is widely used both in threatened
abortion and safe delivery because of its distinct uterine blocking activity.
Adulteration
Adulteration or substitution is nothing but replacement of original plant with
another plant material or intentionally adding any foreign substance to increase the
weight or potency of the product or to decrease its cost. Therapeutic ef
fi
cacy of
medicinal plants depends upon the quality and quantity of chemical constituents. The
misuse of herbal medicine or natural products starts with wrong identi
fi
cation.
Yet another concern is with the widespread use of adulterants. Shweta musali
(Chlorophytum borivilianum L.) is used instead of Shatavari at many places
knowingly or unknowingly. Hence a thorough understanding of the genuine drug in
terms of its microscopic as well as powder character is very much essential to prevent
the adulteration as well as providing a key to the identi
fi
cation of plant source
.
CONCLUSION
Numerous studies have been conducted on different parts of these plants, this plant
has developed as a drug by pharmaceutical industries. Now-a-days there is a renewed
interest in drugs of natural origin simply because they are considered as green
medicine and green medicine is always supposed to be safe. Another factor which
emphasizes this attention is the incidences of harmful nature of synthetic drugs which
are regarded as harmful to human beings and environment. The advantage of natural
drugs is their easy availability, economic and less or no side effects but the
disadvantage is that they are the victims of adulteration. The more effective the
natural drug more is its demand and the chances of non-availability increases. To
meet the growing demand, the natural drug is easily adulterated with low grade
material.
of
7 8

8.
References
Narasimhacharya RI, Visavadiya N.Hypolipidemic and antioxidant activities of
Asparagus racemosus in hypercholesteremic rats. Ind. J. of Pharmacy, Dec 2005
.
R.H, *Arya, V.V, S., & Oommen, S. M. (2018). AN INSIGHT TO THE
PHARMACOGNOSY OF SHATAVARI (ASPARAGUS RACEMOSUS
WILLD.). International Journal of Ayurveda and Pharma Research, 6(9
)
Kokate CK. Practical Pharmacognosy (4 repr. Ed). New Delhi: Vallabh Prakashan;
1999
.
Wallis TE. Textbook of Pharmacognosy. Delhi: CBS Publisher and Distributors;
1985.
Evans WC. Trease and Evans Pharmacognosy. 15 ed. London: W B Saunders;
2002.
of
8 8