Topic
Withania somnifera
About: Withania somnifera is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 2116 publications have been published within this topic receiving 43404 citations. The topic is also known as: Ashwaganda & Indian ginseng.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
More filters
TL;DR: In the Indian traditional system of medicine Withania somnifera Dun.
Abstract: The practitioners of the traditional Indian system of medicine regard Withania somnifera Dun. as the 'Indian ginseng'. A new withanolide-free aqueous fraction was isolated from the roots of this plant and was evaluated for putative antistress activity against a battery of tests such as hypoxia time, antifatigue effect, swimming performance time, swimming induced gastric ulceration and hypothermia, immobilization induced gastric ulceration, autoanalgesia and biochemical changes in the adrenal glands. This bioactive fraction exhibited significant antistress activity in a dose-related manner in all the parameters studied. The extract of Withania somnifera root (a commercial preparation available locally) was used to compare the results. A preliminary acute toxicity study in mice showed a good margin of safety.
132 citations
TL;DR: Two new acylsterylglucosides were isolated from the roots of Withania somnifera Dun.
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.
129 citations
TL;DR: The results of this study suggest that G2-M phase cell cycle arrest may be an important mechanism in antiproliferative effect of WA against human breast cancer cells.
Abstract: Withaferin A (WA) is derived from the medicinal plant Withania somnifera that has been safely used for centuries in the Indian Ayurvedic medicine for treatment of various ailments. We now demonstrate that WA treatment causes G2 and mitotic arrest in human breast cancer cells. Treatment of MDA-MB-231 (estrogen-independent) and MCF-7 (estrogen-responsive) cell lines with WA resulted in a concentration- and time-dependent increase in G2-M fraction, which correlated with a decrease in levels of cyclin-dependent kinase 1 (Cdk1), cell division cycle 25C (Cdc25C) and/or Cdc25B proteins, leading to accumulation of Tyrosine15 phosphorylated (inactive) Cdk1. Ectopic expression of Cdc25C conferred partial yet significant protection against WA-mediated G2-M phase cell cycle arrest in MDA-MB-231 cells. The WA-treated MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7 cells were also arrested in mitosis as judged by fluorescence microscopy and analysis of Ser10 phosphorylated histone H3. Mitotic arrest resulting from exposure to WA was accompanied ...
128 citations
01 Jan 1999
TL;DR: In this review, various Indian plants which have the potential of immunomodulating activity are identified from various sources in the literature including both plant extracts and synthetic peptides are identified.
Abstract: In this review we have attempted to highlight the work on immunomodulators carried out in Indian laboratories including both plant extracts and synthetic peptides. The results for plant extracts are reviewed in part I of this review and synthetic peptides in part II. Various Indian plants which have the potential of immunomodulating activity are identified from various sources in the literature. Among these"14 have undergone in vitro and in vivo evalution, mostly in animals and to some extent in humans as well. While the leads are extremely promising for some of them such as Asparagus racemosus. Azadirachta indica, Curcuma longa, Ocimum sanctum, Panax ginseng, Picrorhiza kurroa, Tinospora cordifolia, Withania somnifera etc., considerable work remains to be done for the remainder plants.
128 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the vulnerability of cortex and hippocampus regions of the brain to oxidative damage in streptozotocin (STZ) diabetic mice, and they concluded that impairments in the hippocampus and cortex in STZ diabetic mice are associated with an increased free radical mediated oxidative damage and that the supplementation of plant extracts showed preventive effects in attenuating oxidative damage.
127 citations