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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.


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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The aim of this study was to compare the anti-arthritic activities of the plants Justicia gendarussa and Withania somnifera and to find out whether these plants suppressed theAnti-arthritis changes induced in rats and the results were statistically significant.
Abstract: The aim of this study was to compare the anti-arthritic activities of the plants Justicia gendarussa and Withania somnifera. Arthritis is induced in male albino rats using Freund’s complete adjuvant and bovine type II collagen. Leaves of J. gendarussa and roots of W. somnifera were powdered and extracted with ethanol (95%) using the soxhlet method. The effect of these plant extracts on arthritic rats were assessed by various blood parameters and also by taking the change in paw volume. The plants J. gendarussa and W. somnifera suppressed the anti-arthritic changes induced in rats and the results were statistically significant. Key words: Arthritis, collagen, paw volume, plant extract

23 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: It is suggested that withania somnifera may have a regulatory effect on diabetes-induced change of the levels of gonadal-hormones, especially progesterone, in male rats, despite being apparently only able to diminish FSH serum level in intact animals.
Abstract: Background: There are evidences regarding the prevalence of dysfunction in sexual function and behavior in diabetic people. Experimental studies revealed a positive effect of withania somnifera on sexual function and behaviors. Objective: In this research, the effect of withania somnifera on sexual function in diabetic male Wistar rats was assessed by measuring the serum levels of testosterone, progesterone, estrogen, FSH and LH. Materials and Methods: Experimental diabetes mellitus type I was induced by intraperitoneal injection of a single dose (60 mg/kg) of streptozotocin (STZ) in Wistar male rats. Oral withania somnifera root was given in pelleted food at ratio of 6.25% for 4 weeks. The levels of gonadadotropic hormones (LH, FSH), progesterone, estrogen and testosterone in animals’ serum were determined after 4 weeks in all groups. Results: Withania somnifera root was effective in lowering FSH serum level in somnifera-treated animals compared to controls (p<0.05) in both diabetic and nondiabetic groups, whereas progesterone (p<0.05), testosterone (p<0.05) and LH levels (p<0.001) were significantly higher in non-diabetic treated animals. Oral somnifera root was also able to reverse the reductive effect of diabetes on the progesterone. The estrogen level did not show any significant difference in any of the groups. Conclusion: It is suggested that withania somnifera may have a regulatory effect on diabetes-induced change of the levels of gonadal-hormones, especially progesterone, in male rats. Nevertheless, somnifera is apparently only able to diminish FSH serum level in intact animals.

23 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Both the doses of an aqueous extract of W. somnifera produced significant reduction in outcome variables, with the 250 mg group showing significantly better response, and the therapeutic response appears to be dose-dependent and free of any significant GI disturbances.

23 citations

30 Sep 2019
TL;DR: This article showed that muscarinic subtype acetylcholine receptors that regulate memory processes are a key target of Ashwagandha extract in Alzheimer's disease and showed that i-extract stimulated an increase in dendrite growth markers, including kallikrein 8 and MAP2.
Abstract: Memory loss is one of the most tragic symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease. Our laboratory has recently demonstrated that ‘i-Extract’ of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) restores memory loss in scopolamine (SC)-induced mice. The prime target of i-Extract is obscure. We hypothesize that i-Extract may primarily target muscarinic subtype acetylcholine receptors that regulate memory processes. The present study elucidates key target(s) of i-Extract via cellular, biochemical, and molecular techniques in a relevant amnesia mouse model and primary hippocampal neuronal cultures. Wild type Swiss albino mice were fed i-Extract, and hippocampal cells from naive mice were treated with i-Extract, followed by muscarinic antagonist (dicyclomine) and agonist (pilocarpine) treatments. We measured dendritic formation and growth by immunocytochemistry, kallikrein 8 (KLK8) mRNA by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and levels of KLK8 and microtubule-associated protein 2, c isoform (MAP2c) proteins by western blotting. We performed muscarinic receptor radioligand binding. i-Extract stimulated an increase in dendrite growth markers, KLK8 and MAP2. Scopolamine-mediated reduction was significantly reversed by i-Extract in mouse cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Our study identified muscarinic receptor as a key target of i-Extract, providing mechanistic evidence for its clinical application in neurodegenerative cognitive disorders.

23 citations

01 Jan 2011
TL;DR: A short term protocol was developed for propagation of Withania somnifera and it was observed that direct rhizogenesis was more than shoot development and initiation of callus but frequency of callogenesis was very low.
Abstract: Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, commonly known as (Ashwagandha) belongs to the family Solanaceae, is one of the important medicinal cash crop in many states of India. It is widely used in the treatment of inflammatory conditions, rheumatism, different types of tumor, tuberculosis, reproductive system, nervous system and is benificial to improve the vitality. In this work the seeds of W.somnifera were collected from Botanical garden of P.G. Department of Botany, Utkal University. The fresh seeds were inoculated in to ½ MS medium and the germination was initiated after 7 days. Germinated seedlings were allowed to grow for one month till the plantlet attain a height of 3-4 cm. Fresh plantlets were transferred to liquid MS medium for better devlopment of root and shoot system. Apical parts of the plant were excised and inoculated into fresh Revised Tobacco medium (RT) supplemented with 1mili gram/Litre of 2,4-D. The explant was allowed to grow for further differentiation. After 15 days it was observed that direct rhizogenesis was more than shoot development. Along with shoot/root differentiation there was also initiation of callus but frequency of callogenesis was very low. Further root and shoot development was maintained in the same medium for next two weeks, and the plants then transfered pots containing a sterilized mixture of garden soil, vermicompost and sand in (1:1:1) ratio. The pots were maintained at a temperature of 25±20C with required humidity and 16 hours light/day for 1 month. In vitro raised plantlets were successfully transferred to the field. About 90% of plantlets were survived in the garden soil. Overall a short term protocol was developed for propagation of Withania somnifera.

23 citations


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Performance
Metrics
No. of papers in the topic in previous years
YearPapers
2023114
2022265
202188
2020124
201995
2018111