Withania somnifera

Withania somnifera commonly known as Ashwagandha, grows as a stout shrub that reaches a height of 170 cm. Like the tomato or other plants of the family Solanaceae, it bears yellow flowers and berry shaped, red colored fruit. Ashwagandha grows prolifically in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and in other parts of Indian subcontinent. It is commercially cultivated in different parts of the world for its medicinal value and its potential towards ayurveda. Ashwagandha in Sanskrit means “horse’s smell”, probably originating from the odour of its root which resembles that of sweaty horse. The species name somnifera means “sleep-making” in Latin, indicating that to it are attributed sedating properties, but it has been also used for sexual vitality and as an aphrodisiac.

Botany of the Plant:
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Solanales
Family: Solanaceae
Genus: Withania
Species: somnifera

Common Names: Ashwagandha, Winter Cherry, Ashgandh, Achuvagandi, Amikkira-gadday, Amkulang-kalang, Amukkira-kilzhangu, Amukran-kizhangu, Asagandha, Asana, Asgandh, Asundha, Asvagandhi, Fatarfoda, Hirimaddina-gadday, Hirre-gadday, Penneroo-gadda, Pevette, Sogade-beru

Parts Used: Root and leaf are the main part used for extraction of different alkaloids.

Chemical Constituents: The main constituents of ashwagandha are alkaloids and steroidal lactones. Among the various alkaloids, withanine is the main constituent. The other alkaloids are somniferine, somnine, somniferinine, withananine, pseudo-withanine, tropine, pseudo-tropine, 3-a-gloyloxytropane, choline, cuscohygrine, isopelletierine, anaferine and anahydrine. Two acyl steryl glucoside viz. sitoindoside VII and sitoindoside VIII have been isolated from root. The leaves contain steroidal lactones, which are commonly called withanolides.

Therapeutic value: Fruits, leaves and seeds of the Indian medicinal plant Withania somnifera have been traditionally used for the Ayurvedic system as aphrodisiacs, diuretics and for treating memory loss. In Ayurveda, ashwaganda is considered a rasayana herb. This herb is also considered an adaptogen that works to normalize physiological function, working on the HPA Axis and the neuro endocrine system. The Japanese patent applications are related to the use of the herb as a skin ointment and for promoting reproductive fertility. The U.S. based company Natreon has also obtained a patent for an Ashwagandha extract. Seven American and four Japanese firms have filed for grant of patents on formulations containing extracts of the herb Ashwagandha. Ashwagandha is reported to have anti-carcinogenic effects in animal and cell cultures by decreasing the expression of nuclear factor-kappaB, suppressing intercellular tumor necrosis factor, and potentiating apoptotic signaling in cancerous cell lines.
Some botanists refer ashwagandha as Indian ginseng, since it is used in ayurvedic medicine in a way similar to that ginseng is used in traditional chinese medicine. In Ayurveda, the fresh roots are sometimes boiled in milk, prior to drying, in order to leach out undesirable constituents. The berries are used as a substitute for rennet, to coagulate milk in cheese making.