Asparagus curillus

Asparagus curillus (Buch.-Ham.) ex Roxb. of Liliaceae family, is a reputed medicinal shrub distributed in the tropical and temperate climate (1000 to 2250 meter altitude) of central Himalaya and is known for its wide spectrum of medicinal utility including diabetes. Fruits of the plant are used for abortion. The extract obtained from the plant is also used to increase the appetite and secretion of milk in lactating women. <Semwal DK, Semwal RB, Singh G. Androstane-type steroidal glycoside from the roots of Asparagus curillus buch.- ham. ex roxb. Helvetica Chimica Acta. 2013;96(3):520-4> http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/hlca.201200228/abstract.

Phytochemistry Various parts of the plant contain oligospirostanosides, oligofurostanosides, spirostanol, furostanol glycosides, steroidal saponins. <S. C. Sharma, H. C. Sharma, Phytochemistry 1993, 33, 683> http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0031942293854735. The roots of the plant contain Sarsasapogenin Glycoside, 5-hydroxy-7-oxabicyclo[4.2.0]octa-1,5-diene-3,4-dione (1) and a steroidal saponin named 25S-5β-spirostan-3β-yl-O-[β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1→4)-β-D-glucopyranoside]. <Semwal DK, Semwal RB, Singh G. Benzoquinone derivative and sarsasapogenin glycoside from Asparagus curillus. Chemistry of Natural Compounds. 2014;50(5):865-867> http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10600-014-1102-x