shatavari :

It helps to enhance your memory and protects against amnesia. It also acts as an effective aphrodisiac and diuretic. Additionally, it is known as a versatile female tonic.

Taxonomical Classification

Kingdom: Plantae - Plants
Family: Fabaceae

VERNACULAR NAMES

Sanskrit: Satavari
English: flax hemp
Hindi: Satavari
Telugu: Pilligadalu, Philithaga
Bengali: Shatamuli
Marathi: Satavari
Konkani: Satavari
Oriya: Manajolo
Gujarathi: Ekalkanto
Tamil: Ammaikodi, Kilwari
Malayalam: Satavari
Kannada: Aheruballi

Synonyms

Synonyms in Ayurveda: shatavari, satavari, shatapadi, vrishya, dipya, dvipshatru, adharkanthika, supatra, bahumula, shatahriya, narayani, laghuparnika, supatra, bahumula, shatahriya, narayani, laghuparnika, shatavirya, abhiru, rasa

Cultivation:

The plant comes up well under a wide range of tropical and subtropical climate. Fertile moist sandy loam soils are ideal for its cultivation though it grows in a wide range of soils. Better root development is observed in soils in increased proportion of sand. However, a decline in the yield of the crop is noticed in soils containing previous years residue of the roots. Asparagus plant is best grown from its tuberous roots even though it can be successfully propagated through seeds. Since root tubers are of commercial value seed propagation provides economic advantage to the farmers. Seeds usually start germinating after 40 days and average germination is 70% (Tewari and Misra, 1996).

Propogation:

Asparagus plant is best grown from its tuberous roots even though it can be successfully propagated through seeds. Since root tubers are of commercial value seed propagation provides economic advantage to the farmers. Seeds usually start germinating after 40 days and average germination is 70% (Tewari and Misra, 1996).

Harvesting:

Harvesting the crop after two years provided higher root yield than annual harvests in pots as well as in field experiments. Irrigating the field prior to harvest enables easy harvesting of the root tubers. The average yield is 10 - 15 t/ha of fresh root tubers though yields over 60t/ha have been reported.

Phytochemistry:

Asparagus roots contain protein 22%, fat 6.2%, Carbohydrate 3.2%, Vitamin B 0.36%, Vitamin C 0.04% and traces of Vitamin A. It contains several alkaloids. Alcoholic extract yields asparagin- an anticancer agent. It also contains a number of antioxytocic saponins, viz. Shatavarisn - I to IV (Syamala, 1997). Leaves contain rutin, diosgenin and a flavonoid glycoside identified as quercetin - 3 - glucuronide. Flowers contain quercetin hyperoside and rutin. Fruits contain glycosides of quercetin, rutin and hyperoside while fully ripe fruits contain cyanidin - 3 - galactoside and cyanidin - 3 - glucorhamnoside.

PHARMACOLOGY:

Root is demulcent, diuretic, aphrodisiac, tonic, alterative, antiseptic, antidiarrhoeal, glalctogogue and antispasmodic. Aerial part is spasmolytic, antiarrhythmic and anticancer. Bark is antibacterial and antifungal. 

Morphology:

Satavari, Asparagus racemosus Willd. belongs to the lily family, Liliaceae. Asparagus adscendens Roxb., A. filicinus Lam., A. gonoclados Baker, A. officinalis Linn. and A. sarmentosus Willd. are the other important medicinal plant species of the genus. A. racemosus Willd. is an armed climbing undershrub with woody terete stems and recurved or rarely straight spines. The tuberous succulent roots are 30cm to 100cm or more in length, fascicled at the stem base, smooth tapering at both ends. Young stems are very delicate, brittle and smooth. Leaves are reduced to minute chaffy scales and spines; cladodes triquetrous, curved in tufts of 2-6. Flowers are white fragrant in simple or branched recemes on the naked nodes of the main shoots or in the axils of the thorns. Fruits are globular or obscurely 3-lobed, pulpy berries, purplish black when ripe; seeds with hard and brittle testa.

Geographical distribution:

The plant is found wild in tropical and subtropical India including Andaman and Nicobar Islands. It is distributed from mean sea level upto 1500m in the Himalayas from Kashmir eastwards. The crop is cultivated in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Predesh and northern states in India. However, most of the requirement of the industry is met through wild collections from forests. It is also grown in gardens.

Ayurvedic Formulations:

Common Ayurvedic Formulations of shatavari with their Indications
Brahma Rasayana
Pothin Dravakam - Attin Brath is a general medicine to increase strength, vitality and stamina.
Sukumaram Kashayam

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• » Parts used and Dosage of shatavari
• » Morphology and Histology of shatavari
• » Distribution and Conservation of shatavari
• » Cultivation of shatavari
• » shatavari in the market
• » Medicinal Uses of shatavari
• » Researches and clinical trails of shatavari
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