**6.3 Pharmacological actions**

*Phytochemicals in Human Health*

*Scientific classification*

**6.1 Historical aspects**

Esparraguera, and **Swedish:** Sparris.

garden asparagus; **Family:** Asparagaceae.

a diuretic, despite the lack of clinical evidence.

**6.2 Phytochemical active principals**

*subsp. officinalis*; Asparagus polyphyllus Steven ex Ledeb.

**Chinese:** Shi diao baiGerman: Spargel; **French:** Asperge; **Italian:** Asparagio; **Japanese:** Oranda-kiji-kakushi; **Portuguese:** Espargo; **Spanish:** Espárrago,

**Synonyms:** Asparagus caspius Hohen.; Asparagus longifolius Fisch. ex Steud.; *Asparagus officinalis* var. caspius (Hohen.) Asch. & Graebn.; *Asparagus officinalis* 

**Kingdom:** plantae; **Subfamily:** asparagoideae; **Clade:** Angiosperms; **Genus:** Asparagus—asparagus; **Order:** asparagales; **Species:** *Asparagus officinalis L*.—

*Asparagus officinalis L.* is a perennial herb which grows to a height of between 60 and 150 cm. It has thick swollen root stock. Its stem is multi-branched, with 2–6 needle-like shoots in whorls. Flowers are wide (4–6 mm), 6-lobed, perianth regular with a whitish–greenish yellow. Leaves are rudimentary, scale-like and its axillary shoots are needle-like and whorled. Fruits are round, initially green and, when ripe, forms an orange, 6–10 mm wide berry [17, 49]. The plant was distributed in Central and Southern Europe, the Middle East, Western Siberia and Northern Africa. It was then cultivated in many places. It is now distributed in Eastern Africa, Asia, Europe, Northern and Southern America [48]. Asparagus stalks are commonly eaten as a vegetable. Roots and seeds have been used as a treatment for various illnesses and as

Chemical constituents of *Asparagus officinalis L.* contain steroid saponins including asparagosides A, B, D, F, Ge3w2q H, I, the bitter steroid saponins, amino acids, fructans (asparagose and asparagosine), ferulic acid and flavonoids (quercetin, rutin, hyperoside, and isoquercitrin) [36, 49, 50]. Shao et al. [51], further isolated two oligofurostanosides *Asparagus officinalis L.* seeds, and their structures were identified as 3-O-[alpha-Lrhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-(alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→4))-beta-d-glucopyranosyl]-26-O-[beta-d-gluco pyranosyl]-(25R)-22 alpha-methoxyfurost-5-ene-3 beta,26-diol(methyl protodioscin), and with the corresponding 22 alpha-hydroxy analogs (protodioscin). New asparagusic acid anti-S-oxide methyl ester (a new acetylenic compound) and asparagusic acid syn-S-oxide methyl ester, 2-hydroxyasparenyn {3,4″-trans-2 hydroxy-1-methoxy-4-[5-(4-methoxyphenoxy)-3-penten-1-ynyl]-benzene}, and eleven known compounds, [asparenyn, asparenyol, (±)-1-monopalmitin, ferulic acid, 1,3-O-di-p-coumaroylglycerol, 1-O-feruloyl-3-O-p-coumaroylglycerol, blumenol C, (±)-epipinoresinol, linoleic acid, 1,3-O-diferuloylglycerol, and 1,2-O-diferuloylglycerol, were separated from an ethyl acetate-soluble fraction of the methanol extract of the aerial parts of *Asparagus officinalis L.* [48]. Two major anthocyanins (A1 and A2) were also separated from peels of the spears of *Asparagus officinalis L.*. However, A1 was identified as cyanidin 3-[3″-(O-beta-dgluco pyranosyl)-6″-(O-alpha-l-rhamnopyranosyl)-O-beta-dglucopyranoside], while A2 was recognized to be cyanidin 3-rutinoside, which was found to be in

Sun et al. [52], recognized a new steroidal saponin, yamogenin II, with a unique aglycone moiety, and a structure of (25S)-spirostan-5-ene-3β-ol-3-O-α-Lrhamnopyranosyl-(1,2)-[α-l-rhamno pyranosyl-(1,4)]-β-d-glucopyranoside from the dried stems of *Asparagus officinalis L.*. Furthermore, more saponins

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higher plants [48].

*Asparagus officinalis L.* is believed to have laxative, diuretic and contraceptive effects, and as a remedy for neuritis, rheumatism, cancer, toothache relieve, face acne lesion, as well as to stimulate hair growth [55]. According to research findings, the aqueous extract of *Asparagus officinalis L.* showed some antidiabetic effect after diabetic rats were treated with the extract, and their elevated blood glucose was suppressed [56]. The extract further displayed dangerous antioxidant activity in *in vitro* and *in vivo* assays. *Asparagus officinalis L.* crude saponins from the shoots (edible part) of asparagus, were found to have antitumor activity as they promoted the growth of HepG2 cells, and of human leukemia HL-60 cells in a way which caused it to become dose-dependent.

Shao et al., separated two oligofurostanosides from the seeds of *Asparagus officinalis L.* with cytotoxic activity [51]. They repressed the growth of human leukemia HL-60 cells in culture and macromolecular synthesis in a manner which promoted dose-dependence. Saponins from old stems of asparagus (SSA) exerted potential repressive activity on tumor growth and metastasis of breast, colon and pancreatic cancer cells. Sakaguchi et al. [57], found that anthocyanins A1 and A2 separated from the spears of *Asparagus officinalis L.* were found to act as antioxidants. The saponin fraction of the *Asparagus officinalis L.* exerted antifungal activity [58, 59]. The intake of asparagus also improved antioxidant status (superoxide dismutase and catalase enzymes) and prevented lipid peroxidation [60]. This corroborated with the findings by Hafizur et al. [56]. The hypolipidemic effect of n-butanol extract from asparagus by-products was evaluated in mice fed a high-fat diet, and the results were positive [56].

The antibacterial potential of the ethanolic extracts was determined against *Escherichia coli*, *Pseudomonas aeruginosa*, *Staphylococcus aureus* and *Bacillus cereus*, and the activity was seen only on *Escherichia coli*, while there was no antimicrobial activity in the same concentration against other tested pathogenic bacteria [61]. The taking in of asparagus alleviated some clinical symptoms (stool consistency, stool blood, and spleen hypertrophy) during active colitis. Other pharmacological effects of *Asparagus officinalis L.* were anti-fatigue effects, enhanced anoxia tolerance, induced analgesia and improved memory, and decreased the prevalence of lipid peroxide in plasma, liver and brains of the rats [62].

Jang et al. examined *Asparagus officinalis L.* for its inhibitory effects against both cyclo-oxygenase-1 and -2, thus having anti-inflammatory potential [48], due to linoleic acid identified as the most active compound in the plant [48, 54]. Aqueous extract of *Asparagus officinalis L.* resulted in relaxation of spontaneous contractions of separated smooth muscle of rabbit jejunum [57]. *Asparagus officinalis L.* also induced diuretic effects [63].

#### **6.4 Reflections and future recommendations**

Roots and seeds have been used as a treatment for various illnesses and as a diuretic, despite the lack of clinical evidence. So many active chemical constituents were isolated and identified. However, not all pharmacological activity of those isolated compounds was done. *In vivo* anticancer activity is desirable to confirm the in vitro findings. Studies have claimed that *Asparagus officinalis L.* has other pharmacological effects which were not reported as ethnobotanical uses of this plant, such as anti-fatigue effects, enhanced anoxia tolerance, induced analgesia and improved memory, as well as the decreased contents of lipid peroxide in plasma, liver and brains of the rats. However, this was not linked to the active compound present from the plant that could be responsible for those pharmacological activities.
