Leung's Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics

ASPARAGUS

Source: Asparagus officinalis L. (Family
Liliaceae).

Common/vernacularnames:Gardenasparagus.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

A dioecious perennial herb with erect and
much branched stem, up to 3 m high; leaves
scale-like; native to Europe and western Asia;
widely cultivated.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION

Roots contain inulin and fructo-oligosacchar-
ides;^1 glycosidic bitter principles (officina-
lisnin-I and officinalisnin-II);^2 b-sitosterol,
sarsasapogenin, and steroidal glycosides
(named asparagosides A to I, in order of
their increasing polarity);3,4asparagusic ac-
id;^5 and others.
Shoots (spears and tips) contain sulfur-con-
taining acids, including asparagusic, dihy-
droasparagusic, andS-acetyldihydro-aspara-
gusic acids;5,6 a-amino-dimethyl-g-butyr-
othetin (anS-methylmethionine derivative),
among others;^7 a glycosidic bitter principle
that is different from the two found in roots;^8
protodioscin;^9 flavonoids (rutin, hyperoside,
isoquercitrin, cosmosiin, kaempferol-3-O-L-
rhamno-D-glucoside, kaempferol, quercetin,
etc.);10,11asparagine, arginine, tyrosine, sar-
sasapogenin,b-sitosterol, succinic acid, su-
gars, and others (KARRER;JIANGSU;MERCK).^12
Asparagusic acid and its derivatives are
plant growth inhibitors, inhibiting the growth
of lettuce;^6 it also has nematicidal properties,
thus being responsible for the resistance of
asparagus to several plant parasitic
nematodes.^5
Methylmercaptan (a hydrolysis product of
the S-containing compounds) or asparagi-
ne–aspartic acid monoamide is believed to be

present in urine after eating asparagus, caus-

ing its peculiar odor (MERCK).

Seeds contain steroidal saponins (proto-

dioscin, oligofurostanosides);^13 large amounts

of NaOH-soluble polysaccharides;^14 carote-

noids (mutatoxanthinepimers,antheraxanthin,

b-carotene, b-cryptoxanthin, lutein, cap-

santhin, capsanthin 5,6-epoxide, capsorubin,

neoxanthin, violaxanthin, zeaxanthin);^15 and

15.3% oil composed of 43.47% arachidic,

22.16% oleic, 11.52% palmitic, 11.34% lino-

leic, 5.78% behenic, 3.59% stearic, 2.14%

linolenic acids, and 1.43% unsaponifiable mat-

ter consisted mostly ofb-sitosterol.^16

PHARMACOLOGY AND BIOLOGICAL

ACTIVITIES

The roots are reported to have diuretic and

hypotensive properties (JIANGSU). Animal ex-

periments with the roots indicate diuretic ac-

tivity (BLUMENTHAL1). Extracts of the spears

have shownin vitroantioxidant activity.^17

Fibers isolated from the vegetable are claimed

to have mutagen-adsorbing (cancer-prevent-

ing) properties.^18 An antifungal deoxyribonu-

clease was isolated from the seeds^19 and the

saponin fraction has shown antifungal activi-

ty.^20 Among the saponins, protodioscin, found

in larger quantities in the bottom of the stalks

than the tips,^9 has shownin vitrocytotoxic

activity against herpes simplex virus type 1,^21

human leukemia HL-60 cells,^13 colon cancer

cells, glioma cells, melanoma, renal and CNS

cancer cells.^22 Protodioscin has also shown

proerectile activity in rabbits.^23

TOXICOLOGY

Allergic reactions to asparagus have occurred

from ingestion or handling of the plant and

commonly result in severe asthma or anaphy-

laxis. Allergens from asparagus have been

identified as lipid transfer proteins24,25and

1,2,3-trithiane-5-carboxylic acid, a sulfur-

containing plant growth inhibitor.^26

52 Asparagus