Showing papers on "Withania somnifera published in 1987"

Anti-stress activity of sitoindosides VII and VIII, new acylsterylglucosides from Withania somnifera†

Abstract: Two new acylsterylglucosides, sitoindoside VII and sitoindoside VIII, were isolated from the roots of Withania somnifera Dun., and were screened for putative anti-stress activity because the plant is widely regarded as the ‘Indian Ginseng’ by practitioners of the traditional Indian system of medicine. Since an acceptable paradigm of pharmacological tests for anti-stress screening has yet to be evolved, a battery of tests were employed to delineate the activity of the test compounds. The total MeOH-H2O (1:1) extractives of the roots of W. somnifera (SG-1) and equimolecular combination of sitoindosides VII, VIII and withaferin-A, a common withanolide, (SG-2), exhibited significant anti-stress activity in all the test parameters used. The two sitoindosides also produced per se anti-stress activity, which was potentiated by withaferin-A. A preliminary acute toxicity study indicated that the compounds have a low order of acute toxicity. The anti-stress activity of SG-1 and SG-2 is consonant with the therapeutic use of W. somnifera in the Ayurveda, the Indian system of medicine.