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

USES

Medicinal, Pharmaceutical, and Cosmetic.
Fleshy fibrous roots and to a lesser extent
seeds are used for medicinal purposes. Roots
are used in diuretic preparations. Herb is used
in diuretic galenical preparations in Germany,
although claimed efficacy is not substantially
documented (BLUMENTHAL1).

Food. Aerial stems (asparagus spears) aris-
ing from rhizomes are used as vegetable. Seed
and root extracts reportedly used in alcoholic
beverages at an average maximum use level of
0.0016% (16 ppm). Seeds have been used as
coffee substitutes (UPHOF).

Traditional Medicine. Roots are used as
diuretic, laxative, and in neuritis and rheuma-
tism; also reportedly used in treating cancer;^27
used in Chinese medicine as an antitussive,
tonic, antifebrile, diuretic, and hair growth
stimulator.^13

Fruits (berries) have been reported to be

used as contraceptives.28,29

Shoots are used in homemade preparations

to cleanse face and to dry up pimples and sores

(ROSE).

COMMERCIAL PREPARATION

Crude and extracts.

Regulatory Status. Undetermined in the

United States. Herb subject of a German

therapeutic monograph, though therapeutic

use is not recommended (as diuretic) due to

insufficient scientific evidence. A positive

therapeutic German monograph exists for

use of root preparations in irrigation therapy

for inflammatory disease of the urinary tract

and prevention of renal gravel (contraindi-

cated in inflammatory kidney disease or

edema caused by cardiac or renal disease)

(BLUMENTHAL1).

REFERENCES

See the General References forBAILEY1;BAILEY2;BIANCHINI AND CORBETTA;BLUMENTHAL1;DER
MARDEROSIAN AND BEUTLER;FEMA;GOSSELIN;GRIEVE;GUPTA;KARRER;JIANGSU;LEWIS AND ELVIN-LEWIS;
UPHOF;WREN.

1. N. Shiomi et al., Agric. Biol. Chem.,
   40 , 567 (1976).


2. K. Kawano et al.,Agric. Biol. Chem.,
   39 , 1999 (1975).


3. G. M. Goryanu et al.,Khim. Prir. Soedin.,
   3 , 400 (1976).


4. G. M. Goryanu and P. K. Kintya,Him.
   Prir. Soedin., 6 , 762 (1976).


5. M. Takasugi et al.,Chem. Lett., 1 ,43
   (1975).


6. H. Yanagawa et al.,Tetrahedron Lett.,
   25 , 2549 (1972).


7. R. Tressl et al.,J. Agric. Food Chem.,
   25 , 455 (1977).


8. S. Sakamura et al., Nippon Shokuhin
   Kogyo Gakkaishi, 14 , 491 (1967).
   9. M. Wang et al.,J. Agric. Food Chem.,
   51 , 6132 (2003).


9. M. Woeldecke and K. Herrmann, Z.
   Lebensm. Unters. Forsch., 155 , 151
   (1974).


10. T. Kartnig et al.,Planta Med., 51 , 288
    (1985).


11. R. Tressl et al.,J. Agric. Food Chem.,
    25 , 459 (1977).


12. Y. Shaoetal.,PlantaMed., 63 , 258 (1997).


13. R. Goldberg, Phytochemistry, 8 , 1783
    (1969).


14. J. Deli et al., J. Agric. Food Chem.,
    48 , 2793 (2000).


15. Y. R. Prasad and S. S. Nigam,Proc. Natl.
    Acad. Sci. India, Sect. A, 52 , 396 (1982).

Asparagus 53