ASHWAGANDHA

GUIDED BY:-Prof. S.P. Singh

Dr.Akhilendra Verma

PRESENTED BY:-Dharmendra Kumar

R 12011

ASHWAGANDHAKINGDOM : PlantaeORDER : SolanalesFAMILY : SolanaceaeGENUS : WithaniaSPECIES : W.somnifera

BOTANICAL NAME: Withania somnifera

Withania somnifera, also known as ashwagandha, Indian ginseng, poison gooseberry, or winter cherry, is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Several other species in the genus Withania are morphologically similar. It is used as a herb in Ayurvedic medicine.

DESCRIPTION

It grows as a short shrub (35–75 cm) with a central stem from which branches extend radially in a star pattern (stellate) and covered with a dense matte of wooly hairs (tomentose). The flowers are small and green, while the ripe fruit is orange-red and has milk-coagulating properties. The plant's long, brown, tuberous roots are used for medicinal purposes.

ETYMOLOGY

Ashwagandha in Sanskrit means "horse's smell" (ashwa- horse, gandha- smell), probably originating from the odour of its root which resembles that of a sweaty horse.The species name somnifera means "sleep-inducing" in Latin.

CULTIVATION

Withania somnifera is cultivated in many of the drier regions of India, such as Mandsau District of Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Sindh, Gujarat, and Rajasthan. It is also found in Nepal.

CLIMATIC CONDITIONS FOR GROWTHWithania somnifera is grown as late rainy-season (kharif) crop.Semitropical areas receiving 500 to 750 mm rainfall are suitable for its cultivation as a rainfed crop. If one or two winter rains are received, then root development improves.The crop requires a relatively dry season during its growing period. It can tolerate a temperature range of 20 to 38°C and as low a temperature as 10°C. The plant grows from sea level to an altitude of 1500 meters

PATHOLOGYWithania somnifera is prone to several pests and diseases. Leaf spot disease caused by Alternaria alternata is the most prevalent disease, which is most severe in the plains of Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh. Biodeterioration of its pharmaceutically active components during leaf spot disease has been reported. The Choanephora cucurbitarum causes a stem and leaf rot of Withania somnifera.

CULINARY USE

The berries can be used as a substitute for rennet, to coagulate milk in cheese-making .

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS

The main chemical constituents are alkaloids and steroidal lactones. These include tropine and cuscohygrine. The leaves contain the steroidal lactones, withanolides, notably withaferin A, which was the first withanolide to be isolated from W. somnifera.

TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL USES

• In Ayurveda, the berries and leaves of W. somnifera are locally applied to tumors, tubercular glands, carbuncles, and ulcers.

• The roots of W. somnifera are used to prepare the herbal remedy ashwagandha, which has been traditionally used to treat various symptoms and conditions.

• Ashwagandha taken in a particular supplement (Articulin-F) along with other ingredients might improve arthritis symptoms.

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•  ashwagandha combined with deep breathing and a specific diet might reduce symptoms of anxiety

• ashwagandha might reduce cholesterol levels in patients with high cholesterol.

• ashwagandha might improve sperm quality, but not sperm count, in infertile men.

• ashwagandha may improve attention and impulse control in children with ADHD.

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SIDE EFFECTS• Large doses of ashwagandha might cause

stomach upset, diarrhea & vomiting. • Ashwagandha can irritate the gastro-intestinal

(GI) tract. Don’t use ashwagandha if you have a stomach ulcer.

• Ashwagandha may slow down the central nervous system. 

• Ashwagandha might decrease blood pressure. 

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