A Clinical Study to Evaluate the Efficacy of Shatavari Kwatha Along with its Antimicrobial Effect in Garbhini Mutrakrichhra w.s.r. to UTI in Pregnancy

Abstract

Garbhini Mutrakrichhra is a common urinary disorder described under Garbhini Vyadhi in Ayurvedic classics given by Acharya Kashyapa. Pregnancy is considered more susceptible to urinary tract infections. Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), described in Yogaratnakara, is a Mutrala, Pittashamaka, Tridoshaghna, and Rasayana. Aim & Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of Shatavari Kwatha in the management of Garbhini Mutrakrichhra with special reference to UTI during pregnancy, to evaluate antimicrobial activity against selected uropathogen. Materials & Methods: After obtaining Institutional Ethics Committee approval and informed consent, 60 pregnant women diagnosed with UTI were enrolled in a randomized open-label comparative clinical study. Aqueous and hydroalcoholic extracts of Shatavari roots were prepared and evaluated for antimicrobial activity by the Agar Well Diffusion Method. Results: Both treatment groups showed statistically significant improvement in the clinical symptoms. Shatavari Kwatha produced significant symptomatic relief with antimicrobial activity, while nitrofurantoin demonstrated comparatively better improvement in microbiological parameters. In the experimental antimicrobial study, the aqueous extract not show any detectable zone of inhibition. The hydroalcoholic extract demonstrated detectable inhibitory activity against Escherichia coli at the highest tested concentration, producing a zone of inhibition of 12mm. CONCLUSION: Shatavari Kwatha is a safe, effective Ayurvedic intervention for the management of Garbhini Mutrakrichhra with special reference to UTI in pregnancy. It provides significant symptomatic relief. The hydroalcoholic extract of Shatavari demonstrated limited in vitro antibacterial activity against E. coli under the experimental conditions, while the aqueous extract did not show detectable antimicrobial activity.