Medicinal Properties of Asparagus
Authors: Khalid Sidra 
Published: April 2022

Asparagus ia a vegetable and a medicinal or traditional herb. It has many health benefits because of its pharmacological properties and the active ingredients responsible for its effectiveness against various illnesses. A few medicinal Properties are discussed below:

Anti-Inflammation Property of Asparagus

Anti-inflammation can be defined as “It acts on body responses and reduce the inflammation, without directly counteracting the active agent such as glucocorticoids and aspirin”. One of these saponins has been of unique exuberance for relationship to amyotrophic horizontal sclerosis, otherwise called Lou Gehrig's Disease [1]. Even however amyotrophic parallel sclerosis is delegated a perpetual, neurodegenerative illness and isn't right now acknowledged as an immune system issue, over the top, undesirable irritation may assume an imperative part in the passing of certain nerve cells in amyotrophic sidelong sclerosis. In this mitigating setting, it is important that current research on the shatavarins in asparagus has uncovered another assemblage of saponins that impact aggravation through cytokine informing [2].

Asparagus as the Best Antioxidant

Analysts in Brazil has estimated the general reinforcement limit of asparagus. These specialists broke down twenty three ordinarily eaten vegetables in Brazil including asparagus. Their general outcomes demonstrated turmeric, watercress, lettuces, and broccoli to give the best general cancer prevention agent limit. Be that as it may, in a portion of the vegetables testing, asparagus turned out in the best ten among each of the twenty three vegetables for general cancer prevention agent limit. This finding isn't astonishing, given thenumerous customary and offbeat cell reinforcements show in asparagus. It merits recollecting here that asparagus positions as an astounding wellspring of both vitamin E and vitamin C two spotlight antioxidantas well as the mineral selenium, which assumes a key part in the capacity of glutathione peroxidase a standout amongst the most-examined cell reinforcement proteins in the body [3].The impact of methanolic concentrate of Asparagus pubescens was explored on compound, warm actuated agony and new egg whites incited aggravation. The concentrate measurement conditionally pent-up acidic corrosive incited wiggling, formalin-initiated torment licking and hot plate-actuated agony in mice. The concentrate essentially hindered the new egg whites prompted irritation in rats also. These hindrances were measurably critical [4].

Antidepressant Activity

The methanolic extract of asparagus demonstrated a decrease in immobility time in FST and TST in mice, which was comparable to imipramine and increase the levels of dopamine in vitro [5]. Futhermore, it was found to significantly brain monoamine oxidase levels as compared to control in a study focusing on finding the underlying mechanism of action, it was seen that methanolic extracts significantly inhibited cholinesterase and MAO activities [6]. In another study, antidepressant like activity was seen with methanolic root extract in FST and learned helplessness model [7].

Anti Amnesic Activity

Ethanolic root extract of asparagus was observed to produce a significant dose dependent enhancement of memory in the elevated plus maze model in mice [8]. The effect being significantly higher then the produced by piracetam [9].  Also there was an increase in the acetylcholinestrease levels in hippocampus areas associated with learning and memory [10].  In another study, methanolic exracts was found to reverse amnesia produced by scopolamine and sodium nitrate in  the EPM  and Morris water maze model in mice [11].

Analgesic Action

Aqueous and alcohalic root extracts of asparagus has been found to produce indicative analgesic action in heat conduction model. In another study, ethanolic extracts of asparagus was found to inhibit writing reflex in acetic acid induced writing model in mice [12].

Antipyretic Action

The ethanolic extracts of asparagus  showed significant more antipyretic activity in albino Wistar rats than the aqueous extract in the yeast-derived pyrexia model, an effect comparable to normal antipyretic paracetamol [13]. Asparagus root extract which contains highest amount of flavonoids, polyphenols and vitamin-C exhibits the greatest antioxidant activity. Asparagus is likewise rich in flavonoid rutin

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