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J Food Sci Technol (February 2015) 52(2):11761181 DOI 10.1007/s13197-013-1073-0
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Effect of Asparagus racemosus (shatavari) extracton physicochemical and functional properties of milk and its interaction with milk proteins
N. Veena & Sumit Arora & R. R. B. Singh &
Antariksh Katara & Subha Rastogi & A. K. S. Rawat
Revised: 5 March 2013 /Accepted: 17 June 2013 /Published online: 3 July 2013 # Association of Food Scientists & Technologists (India) 2013
Abstract The effects of interaction of Asparagus racemosus (shatavari) with milk constituents and physico-chemical and functional characteristics of milk was studied. Addition of freeze dried aqueous shatavari extract at a concentration of 1 g /100 ml of milk showed a decrease in pH, rennet coagulation time and an increase in acidity, viscosity and heat stability at maximum. The extract also imparted brown colour to milk and showed an increase in a* (redness) and b* (yellowness) values but a decrease in L* (lightness) value. Proteins in milk were modified by reaction with shatavari extract. The derivatives formed were characterized in terms of SDS-PAGE. Electrophoretic pattern of sodium caseinate and whey containing 1% shatavari herb extract did not show any difference in band pattern i.e. there was no difference in mobility based on size of the proteins, but the intensity (width) of bands differed.
Keywords Asparagus racemosus . Shatavari . Cow milk . Physico-chemical properties . Heat stability . Rennet coagulation . Electrophoresis . Milk proteins
Introduction
Recently the universal trend has been a shift from synthetic to herbal medicine, which we can say return to nature. Herbs have been used as food and medicine for centuries. Medicinal plants serve as therapeutic alternative, safer choices, or in some cases, for effective treatment. Asparagus racemosus Willd. is one such important medicinal plant, which is regarded as a rasayana (plant drugs promoting general wellbeing by increasing cellular vitality and resistance) in the Ayurvedic system of medicine (Goyal et al. 2003). It is an important medicinal plant of tropical and subtropical part of India up to an altitude of 1,500 m. The plant commonly known as Shatavari, Asparagus, Satavari or Satmuli, belongs to the family Liliaceae. Shatavari is rich in active constituents such as steroidal glycosides, saponins, polyphenols, flavonoids, alkaloids (racemosol) and vitamins. Its medicinal usage has been...