Asparagus root, Tian Men Dong 天门冬
Palacium Leporis (Wild Asparagus)
Chinese Asparagus root: Tian Men Dong
Shweta Musali (A. abscendens, Ayurveda)
Nye Shing ཉེ་ཤིང༌ (A. adscendens, Tibetan)
Safed Musali (A. adscendens, Unani)
Halyon (A. officinalis, Unani)
Ortus Sanitatis, Meydenbach, 1491
Della Materia Medicinale, Andrea Valuassori, 1562
Krauterbuch, Lonitzer, 1578
Flora von Deutschland, Kohler, 1886
Asparagus root Tian Men Dong (Adam 2023)
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Botanical name:
Asparagus officinale; the wild is A. tenuifolia
Three types were recognised in the West:
- Garden
- Wild
- Ferny
All traditions use varieties of Asparagus root, all being synonymous in use to A. officinalis with the exception of A. racemosus (Shatavari) which is similar, but slightly different.
- TCM: A. cochinchinensis and others (Tian Men Dong)
- Tibetan Medicine also uses A. adscendens and A. tibeticus
- Ayurveda uses 2 varieties of Asparagus root
- A. adscendens (White Musali, used as A. officinale)
- A. racemosus (Shatavari (see separate entry)
Parts used:
Root; rarely the seed
Temperature & Taste:
Warm, moist. Sweet (Unani, Tibetan Medicine)
Some, including TCM, regarded it as Cool and Moist.
Classification:
2A APERIENT MEDICINES. 2G. CLEANSING
3G. EMMENAGOGUE. 3H. LACTAGOGUE. 3I. APHRODISIAC.
3J. INCREASE SEMEN. 3M. ARTHRITIC
4b. OPTHALMICS. 4e. STOMACHIC. 4g. HEPATIC. 4h. NEPHRITIC.
4j. NERVINE
Uses:
1. One of the Five Opening Roots:
-for obstructions; cleanses and opens the Liver, Spleen and Kidneys
-opens the body: gently promote urine and bowel movement; constipation with dryness and deficiency
-promotes Urine; Edema; hot, painful or dribbling Urine
-Gravel, Stones
-“removes all kinds of visceral obstructions, especially those of the Liver and Kidney” (Avicenna)
2. Strengthens Kidneys and Liver, Nourishes Yin:
-Kidney and lower back pain; weak knees and legs; chronic Joint Pain; tightness of the ligaments (TCM, West)
-pains of the Lower Body from deficiency
-Seminal Emission, Impotence; promotes Sexual desire
-Deficient Heat; Consumption, Wasting
-“Its decoction is taken orally in cases of back pain and Sciatica” (Avicenna)
-“increases the quantity of Semen and also improves Libido… also useful in cases of difficulties in conception” (Avicenna)
–Rasayana: Nourishes the 7 Bodily Constituents; increases Semen and Essence (Ayurveda)
-‘reinforces the Bone and Marrow’ (Shen Nong Ben Cao)
-‘It moistens the Five Viscera, tonifies five overstrains and seven impairments’ (Da Ming)
-‘After having such drugs over 100 days, the person will get very strong’. (Zhang Yu Xi)
3. Nourishes the Blood, Promotes Circulation:
-anemia, weakness
-scanty Menstruation; used for Menstrual disorders with deficiency
-Infertility, Threatened Miscarriage
-Varicose veins, Hemorrhoids
-improves Eyesight
-‘nourishes the Skin and Muscle’ (Ming Yi Bie Lu)
-‘Take the decoction to beautify one’s skin by making the skin whiter, more lustrous and cleaner’. (Zhen Quan)
4. Moisten and Strengthen the Lungs, clears Lung Heat:
-chronic cough, cough with Bloody sputum, chronic Bronchitis, Whooping Cough
-‘good for treating coughing with dyspnea due to the Lung Qi disorder, or Asthma with dyspnea, pulmonary flaccidity with carbuncle and the spitting of pus’. (Zhen Quan)
5. Nourishes Yin, Stops Wind:
-Epilepsy, Hysteria, Apoplexy, Cramps, Numbness, Spasms
-Brain and Memory tonic; increases Intellect
-‘good for treating arthralgia and hemiplegia due to attack of pathogenic Wind and Damp’. (Shen Nong Ben Cao)
-‘Long¬term use enables one to feel happy and vigorous and enjoy a long life’ (Shen Nong Ben Cao)
6. Used for Cancer:
-Recently the spears and roots have been advocated in Cancer treatment.
-the root is also used for Cancer in China
7. Externally:
-root decoction gargled for Toothache and spongy gums
-in hip-baths or baths for all pains of the lower body (Culpeper)
-root is steeped in wine or vinegar for Dislocations (Dioscorides)
-concentrated decoction is ‘extremely effective’ against Freckles (Norbu)
Dose:
Powder: 2–5 grams
Decoction: 6–12 grams
Corrective:
Substitute:
Main Combinations:
Asparagus and Parsley root
Opening Roots – Five & Two
1. One of the Five Opening Roots: with roots of Celery, Parsley, Broom and Fennel, primarily used to strengthen and open the lower body, promote urine and bowel movements.
2. To Open the Liver, Asparagus root … available in PRO version
3. Liver Heat and Inflammation, Asparagus root with … available in PRO version
4. Skin diseases, Acne, Boils, Eczema, Asparagus root with … available in PRO version
5. Nourish the Yin, combine Asparagus root with … available in PRO version
6. Urinary diseases with Yin deficiency: combine Asparagus root with … available in PRO version.
7. Yin deficient Heat: combine Asparagus root with … available in PRO version
8. Wind associated with Yin deficiency, Asparagus root with … available in PRO version
9. Vertigo, Asparagus root with … available in PRO version
10. Paralysis, combine Asparagus root with … available in PRO version
11. Chronic Cough, Cough Asparagus root with … available in PRO version
12. Aphrodisiac, combine Asparagus root with … available in PRO version
13. Pediatric tonic: combine Asparagus root with … available in PRO version
Major Formulas
Syrup of Five Opening Roots
Electuary for Back Pain (Galen)
Hepatic Decoction (Hoffman)
Syrup of Chicory and Rhubarb (Nicholas)
Syrup of Marshmallow (Fernel)
Syrup of Mugwort (Augustana)
Wine for Scrophula (Renodeus)
Tincture for Paralysis
Dhatuvallabha Churna (Ayurveda)
Cautions:
Generally safe. Best not used in Phlegm and Damp conditions.
Main Preparations used:
Distilled Water of the whole fresh; often used as one of the Five Opening Roots.
‘Asparagus was well known to the Greeks and Romans both wild and in a cultivated state. Hippocrates mentions it in his treatise on diet, and in his treatise on the Diseases of Women he says that the berries taken in wine promote conception. Dioscorides and Pliny describe its medicinal properties, and Cato (De re Rust. c. 161) gives full directions concerning its cultivation. The ancients considered it to be a wholesome vegetable, dispelling flatulency and acting as a mild aperient, diuretic and aphrodisiac. They administered the root in wine for calculous affections and pains in the uterus, and also considered it beneficial in elephantiasis. Ibn Sina calls it haliun and quotes Galen’s opinion of its medicinal value.
The Western Arabs call it Isferaj; in Persia it is known as Marchubeh and Margiyeh “snake wort,” from its being considered to be an antidote for snake poison. Wild asparagus, the A. tenuifolius of Linnaeus, was known to the Romans as Corruda, a name still current in the south of France, where the plant is valued for its medicinal properties up to the present time. Broussais considered asparagus to be a sedative in palpitation of the heart, and it is still used in France as a diuretic in cardiac dropsy and chronic gout. The young shoots when eaten as a vegetable are well known to communicate a peculiar and offensive odour to the urine, a syrup for medicinal use is prepared with their juice, 100 parts after clarification being added to 190 parts of sugar.
Some physicians consider asparagus to be useless as a diuretic and even injurious to the bladder, but as far as our experience goes it has no ill-effects when taken daily for a considerable time. Indian Mahometan writers on medicine merely retail what the ancients have said about this plant; they usually prescribe the dried berries which are to be found in the bazars of all large towns’. (Pharmacographia Indica, Dymock, 1893)
GENERAL / REVIEW
–Bioactive compound, polyphenol content, and antioxidant activity of Asparagus racemosus Linn. root extract.
–A Review of the Pro-Health Activity of Asparagus officinalis L. and Its Components.
–Asparagus saponins: effective natural beneficial ingredient in functional foods, from preparation to applications.
–Literature analysis on asparagus roots and review of its functional characterizations.
–Asparagus (Asparagus racemosus L.) roots: nutritional profile, medicinal profile, preservation, and value addition.
–Asparagus cochinchinensis: A review of its botany, traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and applications.
ANTI-VIRAL
–Mitochondrial resilience and antioxidant defence against HIV-1: unveiling the power of Asparagus racemosus extracts and Shatavarin IV.
ANTI-INFLAMMATORY:
–Evaluating anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative potentialities of the chloroform fraction of Asparagus racemosus roots against cisplatin induced acute kidney injury.
–Phenylpropanoid Derivatives from the Tuber of Asparagus cochinchinensis with Anti-Inflammatory Activities.
ANTI-OXIDANT:
–Evaluating anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative potentialities of the chloroform fraction of Asparagus racemosus roots against cisplatin induced acute kidney injury.
–Shatavarin-IV rescues the Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) induced oxidative stress in rat granulosa cells in vitro.
–Enzyme Inhibition and Antioxidant Activities of Asparagus officinalis L. and Analysis of Its Phytochemical Content by LC/MS/MS.
PREBIOTIC:
–Composition and Functional Properties of the Edible Spear and By-Products from Asparagus officinalis L. and Their Potential Prebiotic Effect.
IMMUNOMODULATORY
–Physicochemical, rheological, antioxidant and immunological properties of four novel non-inulin (poly)saccharides from Asparagus cochinchinensis.
–Evaluation of immunological adjuvant activities of saponin rich fraction from the fruits of Asparagus adscendens Roxb. with less adverse reactions.
–Evaluation of immunostimulatory attributes of Asparagus racemosus and Withania somnifera supplemented diets in fish, Channa punctatus (Bloch, 1793).
ADAPTOGENIC
–Adaptogenic property of Asparagus racemosus: Future trends and prospects.
INCREASES STRENGTH & MUSCLE MASS
–Beneficial Effects of Asparagus officinalis Extract Supplementation on Muscle Mass and Strength following Resistance Training and Detraining in Healthy Males.
LUNG PROTECTIVE
–Oligosaccharides from Asparagus cochinchinensis for ameliorating LPS-induced acute lung injury in mice.
BRAIN DAMAGE CAUSED BY FLUOROSIS:
–Combining Network Pharmacology and Experimental Verification to Ascertain the Mechanism of Action of Asparagus officinalis Against the Brain Damage Caused by Fluorosis.
EPILEPSY
–A network pharmacology approach to explore pharmacological mechanisms of Asparagus racemosus for ameliorative effect in epilepsy and comorbid progressive memory dysfunction.
–Anticonvulsant Effect of Asparagus racemosus Willd. in a Mouse Model of Catamenial Epilepsy.
MEMORY LOSS
–A network pharmacology approach to explore pharmacological mechanisms of Asparagus racemosus for ameliorative effect in epilepsy and comorbid progressive memory dysfunction.
DEMENTIA / ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE:
–Development and Optimization of Piracetam and Shatavarin IV-Loaded Nanoemulsion for Alzheimer’s Disease Therapy: In Silico and Experimental Analysis.
–Acid-assisted polysaccharides extracted from Asparagus cochinchinensis protect against Alzheimer’s disease by regulating the microbiota-gut-brain axis.
–Plant Soup Formulations Show Cholinesterase Inhibition Potential in the Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease.
–Smilagenin induces expression and epigenetic remodeling of BDNF in alzheimer’s disease.
–Effect of a Standardized Extract of Asparagus officinalis Stem (ETAS50) on Cognitive Function, Psychological Symptoms, and Behavior in Patients with Dementia: A Randomized Crossover Trial.
MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
–Effects of Asparagus officinalis on immune system mediated EAE model of multiple sclerosis.
FATTY LIVER:
–Polysaccharides Extracted from Old Stalks of Asparagus officinalis L. Improve Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver by Increasing the Gut Butyric Acid Content and Improving Gut Barrier Function.
NEPHROPROTECTIVE
–Renal-protective effect of Asparagus officinalis aqueous extract against lead-induced nephrotoxicity mouse model.
–Asparagus falcatus L. (Asparagaceae) leaf extracts attenuate doxorubicin-induced renal toxicity via antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic pathways.
–Nephroprotective Effect of Asparagus africanus Lam. Root Extract against Gentamicin-Induced Nephrotoxicity in Swiss Albino Mice.
REPRODUCTIVE PROTECTIVE:
–Protective effects of corn silk and asparagus Officinalis against formaldehyde-induced reproductive toxicity in male rats via CDK2/Spem1/Fbxo47 and Tet1 pathways
POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (PCOS)
–Exploring the therapeutic potential of Asparagus africanus in polycystic ovarian syndrome: a computational analysis.
–Screening of Optimal Phytoconstituents through in silico Docking, Toxicity, Pharmacokinetic, and Molecular Dynamics Approach for Fighting against Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome.
–Integrating network pharmacology and experimental verification to explore the pharmacological mechanisms of asparagus against polycystic ovary syndrome.
MENOPAUSE
–Efficacy and Safety of Shatavari Root Extract for the Management of Menopausal Symptoms: A Double-Blind, Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial.
–Shatavari supplementation in postmenopausal women alters the skeletal muscle proteome and pathways involved in training adaptation.
OSTEOPOROSIS
–Plant-derived natural medicines for the management of osteoporosis: A comprehensive review of clinical trials.
DIABETES:
–Antidiabetic activities of aerial part of Asparagus racemosus Willd. extract: an in vitro, in vivo, and in silico approach.
–Furostanol saponins from Asparagus racemosus as potential hypoglycemic agents.
BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA
–Asparagi radix alleviates testosterone-induced benign prostatic hyperplasia by inhibiting 5α-reductase activity and androgen receptor signaling pathway.
CANCER:
–In-Vitro Cytotoxic and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Asparagus Densiflorus Meyeri and its Phytochemical Investigation.
BREAST:
–Mechanistic Insights into the Anticancer Potential of Asparagus racemosus Willd. Against Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: A Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation Study.
–Molecular mechanisms of Asparagus racemosus willd. and Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal as chemotherapeutic adjuvants for breast cancer treatment.
–Anticancer Activity of Aqueous Extracts from Asparagus officinalis L. Byproduct on Breast Cancer Cells.
COLORECTAL
–Cytotoxicity and Chemotaxonomic Significance of Saponins from Wild and Cultured Asparagus Shoots.
–Combining Network Pharmacology and Experimental Validation to Study the Action and Mechanism of Water extract of Asparagus Against Colorectal Cancer.
ENDOMETRIAL:
–Asparagus officinalis L. extract exhibits anti-proliferative and anti-invasive effects in endometrial cancer cells and a transgenic mouse model of endometrial cancer.
GASTRIC
–Shatavarin-IV, a steroidal saponin from Asparagus racemosus, inhibits cell cycle progression and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition in AGS cells under hyperglycemic conditions.
–An In Vitro Study on the Cytotoxic, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Properties of Yamogenin-A Plant Steroidal Saponin and Evaluation of Its Mechanism of Action in Gastric Cancer Cells.
LIVER
–Targeting the mTOR Pathway in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: The Therapeutic Potential of Natural Products.
–Furostanol Saponins from Asparagus cochinchinensis and Their Cytotoxicity.
LUNG
–Furostanol Saponins from Asparagus cochinchinensis and Their Cytotoxicity.
–Steroidal saponins with cytotoxic effects from the rhizomes of Asparagus cochinchinensis.
MULTIPLE MYELOMA:
–Retraction: Mechanism of action of Asparagus officinalis extract against multiple myeloma using bioinformatics tools, in silico and in vitro study.
–Mechanism of action of Asparagus officinalis extract against multiple myeloma using bioinformatics tools, in silico and in vitro study.
OVARIAN
–Asparagus officinalis combined with paclitaxel exhibited synergistic anti-tumor activity in paclitaxel-sensitive and -resistant ovarian cancer cells.
–Yamogenin-Induced Cell Cycle Arrest, Oxidative Stress, and Apoptosis in Human Ovarian Cancer Cell Line.
PANCREATIC
–The Effect of Asparagus Extract on Pancreatic Cancer: An Intriguing Surprise.
SYNERGISTIC WITH CHEMOTHERAPY
–Asparagus officinalis combined with paclitaxel exhibited synergistic anti-tumor activity in paclitaxel-sensitive and -resistant ovarian cancer cells.
