MINI REVIEW article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutrition, Psychology and Brain Health
Volume 12 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1677952
"PHYTOCHEMICAL INSIGHTS AND NEURO-GUT AXIS MODULATION OF ASPARAGUS RACEMOSUS (SHATAVARI) IN POSTPARTUM DEPRESSION: A MINI REVIEW WITH HPTLC BASED JUSTIFICATION"
Provisionally accepted
- Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham Amrita School of Ayurveda, Kollam, India
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Abstract Word count:208 Approximately 1 in 8 women experience postpartum depression (PPD), which is a serious public health concern. The adverse effects of antidepressant medications and the stigma attached to receiving mental health care impede the adoption of these approaches. Conventional treatments are seen to be low-risk and give women a feeling of control over their improved physical and emotional well-being. Postpartum depression (PPD) is a complex psychiatric condition increasingly understood through the lens of microbiota-gut-brain axis dysregulation. Recent studies underscore the influence of gut microbiota on neuroendocrine balance, serotonin synthesis, and inflammatory pathways, all crucial factors in the onset and progression of PPD. Asparagus racemosus (Shatavari), an Ayurvedic herb traditionally prescribed for women's reproductive health, is now gaining recognition for its psychobiotic potential. High-Performance Thin-Layer Chromatography (HPTLC) analyses have demonstrated that dry Shatavari contains a significantly richer concentration of bioactive phytoconstituents, such as steroidal saponins and flavonoids, compared to its wet form. These compounds exhibit prebiotic activity, influence microbial composition, and support the modulation of neurotransmitters. This mini review examines the intersection of phytochemical richness in dry A. racemosus and its emerging role in microbiota-mediated mood regulation. It highlights its potential as a botanical psychobiotic and proposes directions for future clinical validation within the context of postpartum mental health frameworks.
Keywords: Asparagus racemosus, Shatavari, Microbiota-gut-brain axis, postpartum depression, HPTLC Phytochemical Profiling, Botanical Psychobiotics, Ayurveda
Received: 08 Aug 2025; Accepted: 13 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 D, Krishnarajabhatt and Unnikrishnan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Parvathy Unnikrishnan, dr.parvathy@ay.amrita.edu
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.