Novel Therapeutics from Shatavari, a Round-Up on Prospects and Challenges

Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari) is a multi-potential perennial medicinal herb which can adopt to a wide variety of growing conditions. Although its primary use is still limited as a nutraceutical supplement to enhance female reproductive physiology and fertility, the root extract of the plant acts a proven remedy to a plethora of diseases and disorders, including oxidative stress, cognitive dysfunction, immune deficits, digestion-related issues, microbial infections, ulcers, inflammation, and many others. Shatavari exerts its activity through a rich reservoir of steroidal saponins, flavonoids, and other steroidal glycosides. Shatavarin IV is the most abundant flavonoid of the herb and mediates most of the effector mechanisms. However, lack of standardized dosage and robust clinical trials have been the two major bottlenecks in developing a holistic therapeutic formulation of the herb. This commentary presents a round-up of the therapeutic properties of the herb, along with the challenges in development of an optimized commercially viable recipe.