Shatavari as a Reliever of Stress, Dysphoria and Fatigue

Asparagus racemosus , popularly known as Shatavari, has been a traditionally exploited versatile medicinal herb for the management and cure of many human ailments. It has become a recent focus of the scientific community owing to its prospective multidimensional therapeutic properties. The herb has been reported to be adaptogenic and helps withstand stress. Today, human beings are recurrently exposed to diverse physiological, psychological, socio-economical and physical stressors, irrespective of gender, race or age. Chronic mental stress, increasing anxiety and dysphoria, physical and emotional fatigue and clinical depression can frequently be observed at each tier of our modern society. Sadly, most of the synthetic drugs available on the market for their treatment come with various problematic side effects, thus limiting their usage and acceptance. In this respect, knowledge of the benefits of medicinal plants in alleviating human health have been handed down through generations as traditional wisdom, especially in the Eastern world. India is a country with its own niche of medicinal plants which has separated over time into Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha, one of the many facets of the subcontinent’s rich heritage The therapeutic potential of Shatavari has been in folklore since ancient times, both as medicine and a food supplement. The most promising and widely exploited therapeutic potential of Shatavari is because of its role in augmentation of female reproductive health. In addition, it possesses significant immunostimulant and anti-inflammatory properties, neuro-nutraceutical and neuro-protective functions and high antioxidant potential and is reported to be an efficient cognitive enhancer, all without any remarkable adverse reaction. It can also address sexual dysfunction and help cope with the stress of gender-linked identity crisis. The biological effector function of the plant is mediated by its rich content of flavonoids, steroidal saponins (shatavarins), triterpene saponins and monoterpenoids. A detailed study of the biosynthetic pathways of these bioactive compounds and a deep insight into their biological functions can pave the way for their large-scale production using metabolic and genetic engineering tools, thus helping to design a new generation of anti-depressant drugs and anxiolytic agents.