Withania somnifera (Indian ginseng) : medicinal properties in alcoholic extraction

Withania somnifera (Indian ginseng, Ashwagandha, Ginseng indien, Ashwaghanda) — family Solanacées.

Scientific synonyms : Physalis somnifera-L, Withania kansuensis –Kuang & A M Lu, W microphysalis-Suess..

Recognised external sources linked to this monograph: French Pharmacopoeia.

This database documents alcoholic (ethanol) extractions of active substances. Our monograph currently lists 24 indications in alcoholic extraction for this species. The Lapo v2 catalogue records 409 scientific references for this species (full detail in the application).

Important — scientific references on this public page: only a short excerpt of each cited source is shown (selected abstract sentences), kept in the original language of the publication (most often English), without translation. These excerpts are not the full article text and are not a complete bibliography. The full reference records and complete monographic detail are available in the Lapo v2 application (free 30-day trial).

1. 1

   Type II diabetes mellitus

   Plant part used: Root.

   Scientific references (short excerpts)

   Short excerpts only (not the full article). Full reference records are in the Lapo v2 application.

   • According to Bhattacharya SK (2003)

     Excerpt Withania somnifera (WS) Dunal is classified in Ayurveda, the ancient Hindu system of medicine, as a Rasayana, a group of plant-derived drugs reputed to promote physical and mental health, augment resistance of the body against disease and diverse adverse environmental factors, revitalize the body in debilitated conditions & increase longevity. CS induced significant hyperglycaemia, glucose intolerance, increase in plasma corticosterone levels, gastric ulcerations, male sexual dysfunction, cognitive deficits, immunosuppression & mental depression.

   • According to Uday Kumar J (2009)

     Excerpt Treatment of the diabetic rats with WSREt, WSLEt & Glibenclamide restored the changes of the above parameters to their normal level after eight weeks of treatment, indicating that WSREt & WSLEt possess hypoglycaemic & hypolipidaemic activities in alloxan-induced diabetes mellitus (DM) rats. Hypoglycaemic & hypolipidaemic effects of WSREt & WSLEt were also investigated in alloxan-induced diabetic rats.

   • According to Jatwa R (2009)

     Excerpt Dexamethasone (1.0 mg/kg, i.m.) administration caused hyperglycemia with a parallel increase in renal lipid peroxidation (LPO), relative risk ratio (RR), and the concentrations of serum insulin; total cholesterol (TC); low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C); very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) & triglycerides (TG). While oral administration with either Withania somnifera (1.4 g/kg) or Bauhinia purpurea (2.5 mg/kg) extract along with dexamethasone and metformin elevated the concentrations of circulating T3 & T4 to euthyroid level.

   • According to Mukherjee PK (2021)

     Excerpt Materials & methods: The sources of information used in the study are traditional Ayurvedic books like Charaka Samhita, Susruta Samhita, Astanga Hridaya etc, government reports, dissertations, books, research articles & databases like Science-Direct, SciFinder, Web of Science, PubMed, Wiley Online Library, & ACS Publications on Ashwagandha & Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal. Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, commonly known as Ashwagandha, is an important medicinal plant that has been used in Ayurvedic and indigenous medicine for more than 3000 years.

   • According to Heba Nageh (2023)

     Excerpt Thirty-six male albino rats were randomly grouped into two main groups: normal (n=18) é diabetic (n=18), diabetes was induced by a single dose of 150 mg/kg BW alloxan injected intraperitoneally. In conclusion, ASW root extract can be used to ameliorate the brain oxidative stress and depression brought on by diabetes mellitus at doses of 100 and 200 mg/kg BW.

2. 2

   Cancer: adjuvant treatment for lung adenocarcinoma, metastatic breast cancer, uterine cancer and neuroblastoma

   Plant part used: Root.

   Scientific references (short excerpts)

   Short excerpts only (not the full article). Full reference records are in the Lapo v2 application.

   • According to Yang Z (2013)

     Excerpt Withania somnifera root extracts (WRE) have anti-proliferative activity & the active component, Withaferin A, inhibits the pro-metastatic protein, vimentin. In both models, sWRE & Withaferin A showed dose-dependent inhibition of tumor growth & metastatic lung nodule formation with minimal systemic toxicity.

   • According to Nile S (2021)

     Excerpt The obtained results demonstrated that ashwagandha EE with high concentration of bioactive compounds could act as potential drug candidates against pro-inflammatory enzymes involved in development of inflammation & progression of lung cancer. Further, extensive research is needed to investigate the WS bioactive compounds responsible for treating inflammation, oxidative stress & lung cancer,.

   • According to Vashi R (2021)

     Excerpt They found ashwagandha to exhibit anti-apoptotic, anti-metastatic, anti-invasive & anti-inflammatory properties & gave the evidence that ashwagandha has a capability for averting & treating breast cancer. Aim of the study: This review aims to provide experimental evidence along with a deeper insight into molecular mechanisms of Ashwagandha through which it acts as a chemotherapeutic agent against different types of breast cancer.

   • According to Moustafa EM (2022)

     Excerpt WS extract may be a significant adjuvant in the course of radiotherapy, contributing to the termination of tumor progression, & thus providing cure insights into the molecular mechanisms of lung CSCs intervention. The aim of this study is to assess the inhibitory potential of ethanol extract of Withania somnifera (WS); 500 mg/kg body-weight/day and 8 Gy of ionizing radiation (IR) could inhibit the stemness gene & confer the radiosensitizing effect of WS extract in the female rat LC model.

   • According to AL-AWADH AA (n.d.)

     Excerpt Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal has been extensively studied against various tumor cell lines from different body organs, rarely from the oral cavity. somnifera fruits (W-F) & roots (W-R) hydromethanolic extracts & their chromatographic fractions against oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) cell lines [Ca9-22 (derived from gingiva), HSC-2, HSC-3, and HSC-4 (derived from tongue)] & three normal oral mesenchymal cells [human gingival fibroblast (HGF), human periodontal ligament fibroblast (HPLF), & human pulp cells (HPC)] in comparison to standard drugs.

3. 3

   Oxidative stress

   Plant part used: Root.

   Scientific references (short excerpts)

   Short excerpts only (not the full article). Full reference records are in the Lapo v2 application.

   • According to Hussain A (2021)

     Excerpt somnifera roots have markedly subsided inflammation & improved health through modulating pro-/anti-inflammatory cytokine expression & reducing oxidative stress,. This study aimed to evaluate the anti-arthritic activity of Ricinus communis leaves' & Withania somnifera roots' hydroalcoholic extracts in Complete Freund's adjuvant-induced arthritis in Wistar rats.

   • According to Afewerky HK (2022)

     Excerpt Following an intra-gastric gavage administration of synthesized WS roots methanolic extract from postnatal day 30 (P30) to P75, in vivo cognitional studies and then neurochemical examinations of the NCX3 expression level, Aβ plaque deposition, and antioxidant activities in the AD-associated brain regions of 4-month-old 5xFAD mice suggests that the oxidative stress normalizing effects of WS constituents, operating on the NCX3, may have a therapeutic role in the improvement of cognition in AD,. Withania somnifera, a traditional indigenous plant widely recognized for having numerous medicinal values, was undertaken to determine its potential therapeutic benefit against aggregated Aβ 1–42 -induced NCX3 dysregulation & the thereof cognition impairment in 5xFAD mice.

   • According to Kumar S (2010)

     Excerpt These results demonstrate the neuroprotective properties of an aqueous extract of WS root & may provide some explanation for the putative ethnopharmacological uses of WS for cognitive & other neurodegenerative disorders that are associated with oxidative stress. Withania somnifera L.

   • According to Khan MA (2019)

     Excerpt This increased oxidative stress in the arthritic rats appears to be the outcome of both an activated pro-oxidant & a poor antioxidant defense system. Withania somnifera is one of the most precious medicinal herbs, reported to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, & immunomodulatory properties.

   • According to Ahmad MK (2010)

     Excerpt To investigate the impact of Withania somnifera roots on semen profile, oxidative biomarkers, & reproductive hormone levels of infertile men. Conclusion(s): The treatment with WS effectively reduced oxidative stress, as assessed by decreased levels of various oxidants & improved level of diverse antioxidants.

Further indications (including other extraction modes where applicable), dosages, precautions for use, and the <strong>full scientific references</strong> (complete records, not only the short excerpts above) are available in the complete monographic record in the Lapo v2 application.