Satavar

The scientific name of Satavar: Asparagus recemosus Wild.

Synonyms :  Asperagus tetragonus

Family :  Liliaceae

Name of Satavar in different languages:-

English: Asparagus, Shathavar

Hindi: Shatamoola, Shathavar, Sathamugha

Malayalam: Shatavari ശതാവരി, Bahumoola ബഹുമൂല

Bengali : Shatamuli

Gujarati : Ekalkanto

Kannada : Aheruballi

Tamil : Ammaikodi

Telungu : Pilligadalu

Sanscrit: Mahashatavari, Shatavari, Urdhvkantha, Pivari, Dhivari, Vari, Abhhhirul, Bahupatra, Sahasramoola, Mahapurushadantika

Plant description:

It is an armed climbing under shrub with woody terete stems and re-curved or rarely straight spines; the tuberous succulent roots are 30 cm to 100 cm 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 racemes 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

Medicinal uses:

It is an excellent safe herbal medicine for ante-natal care. In Ayurveda classics it is prescribed as a cooling agent and uterine tonic. It is the main ingredient in Ayurveda medicines like shatavari gulam and shatavari ghrtam. Besides quenching thirst, its root juice helps in cooling down the body from summer heat, curing hyper-acidity and peptic ulcer. It contains good amount of mucilage which soothes the inner cavity of stomach. It relieves burning sensation while passing urine and is used in urinary tract infections. It contains an anticancer agent asparagin which is useful against leukaemia. It also contains active antioxytoxic saponins which have got antispasmodic effect and specific action on uterine musculature. It is very good relaxant to uterine muscles, especially during pregnancy and is used to prevent abortion and pre-term labour on the place of progesterone preparations. Its powder boiled with milk is generally used to prevent abortion. It increases milk production in cows and buffaloes. Its preparations in milk help in increasing breast milk in lactating women. Its proper use helps in avoiding excessive blood loss during periods. It clears out infections and abnormalities of uterine cavity and hence it is used to rectify infertility in women. The plant has also ornamental value both for indoor and out door decorations

Useful plant parts:

Root, rhizome.

Chemical content:

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 like Shatavarisn. 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.

Medicinal Properties : 

Galatogogue, hepatoprotective, neurotonic, ophthalmic, rejuvenative, stomachic, uterine tonic, aphrodisiac, Root is demulcent, diuretic, aphrodisiac, tonic, alterative, expectorant, antiseptic, antidiarrhoeal, galactogogue and antispasmodic. Aerial part is spasmolytic and anticancerous. Bark is antibacterial and antifungal

How to prepare medicines:

Satavar is the one of the ingredients in the Ayurveda medicines like-