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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 outcome of the above studies suggests a metabolic shift from withanolide accumulation to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in cryptogein-cotransformed hairy roots of W. somnifera.
Abstract: Cotransformed hairy roots containing a gene that encodes a fungal elicitor protein, β-cryptogein, were established in Withania somnifera, a medicinal plant widely used in Indian systems of medicine. To find out whether β-cryptogein protein endogenously elicits the pathway of withasteroid biosynthesis, withaferin A and withanolide A contents along with transcript accumulation of farnesyl pyrophosphate (FPP) synthase, 3-hydroxy-3-methyl-glutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR), and sterol glycosyltransferase (SGT) were analyzed in both cryptogein-cotransformed and normal hairy roots of W. somnifera. It was observed that the withaferin A and withanolide A contents were drastically higher in normal hairy roots than cryptogein-cotransformed ones. Similar trends were also observed on the levels of transcript accumulation. Subsequently, the enzyme activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL), one of the key enzymes of phenylpropanoid pathway, was measured in both cryptogein-cotransformed and normal hairy roots of W. somnifera along with the levels of PAL transcript accumulation. Upliftment of PAL activity was observed in cryptogein-cotransformed hairy roots as compared to the normal ones, and the PAL expression also reflected a similar trend, i.e., enhanced expression in the cryptogein-cotransformed lines. Upliftment of wall-bound ferulic acid accumulation was also observed in the cryptogein-cotransformed lines, as compared to normal hairy root lines. Thus, the outcome of the above studies suggests a metabolic shift from withanolide accumulation to phenylpropanoid biosynthesis in cryptogein-cotransformed hairy roots of W. somnifera.

21 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: It is shown that withaferin A inhibited vascular endothelial cell growth factor -induced tube formation by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and angiogenesis in chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay and suppressed in vivo, the peritoneal Angiogenesis and microvessel density.
Abstract: In the ayurvedic system of medicine, the medicinal plant, Withania somnifera Dunal (Solanaceae) finds application for numerous ailments including cancer. This herbal plant yields a host of steroidal lactones called withanolides, some of which have shown growth inhibition of human tumor cell lines. Withaferin A amongst these withanolides reportedly is very active in impairing antitumor activity. However; the underlying molecular mechanisms of this activity remains still unclear. In the present study, we have shown that withaferin A inhibited vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) -induced tube formation by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and angiogenesis in chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) assay. In Ehrlich ascites tumor (EAT) model, the animals treated with withaferin A suppressed in vivo, the peritoneal angiogenesis and microvessel density. When compared to the untreated animals, the withaferin A treated tumor bearing mice showed a decrease in the volume of ascites and tumor cell number. Quantitation of VEGF levels in ascites from withaferin A untreated or treated tumor bearing mice indicated decreased secretion of VEGF in ascites from treated mice, as measured by ELISA. Studies at molecular level revealed that withaferin A inhibits binding of Sp1 transcription factor to VEGF-gene promoter, in order to exert its antiangiogenic activity. These results clearly indicate the antiangiogenic potential of withaferin A in modulating antitumor activity.

21 citations

Journal Article
TL;DR: It was suggested that extracts of three species were not only toxic to M. obesi but also acted arrestants of movements as well.
Abstract: The bacterial activities in gut of Microtermes obesi was disrupted via soil treated with seed and leaf extracts of Withania somnifera, Croton tiglium and Hygrophila auriculata in order to determine toxicity of these extracts through change in tunneling behaviour and termites’ gut bacteria in the laboratory. Seed extract of W. somnifera and H. auriculata were highly toxic with LD 50 s (4.31 and 2.98%), respectively, in 6 days period. Reduction in area of tunneling and number of bacterial colonies was observed in the soil treated with seed and leaf extracts of three species.There was no tunneling in seed extracts of W. somnifera and C. tiglium at their 100% concentration. Area of tunneling was short in seed extracts of plants as compared with leaf extracts on numerical terms. The number of gut bacterial colonies was also reduced in termites inhabitant soil treated with seed extracts of W. somnifera and C. tiglium. It was suggested that extracts of three species were not only toxic to M. obesi but also acted arrestants of movements as well.

21 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The results of this experiment indicated that dietary Withania somnifera has beneficial effects on tibia bone Ca and P content, and phytase improved tibiaBone P retention without adverse effects on productive performance.
Abstract: 1. A 6-week study was conducted to investigate the effects of phytase and hydroalcoholic extract of Withania somnifera root (WS) on productive performance and bone mineralisation of laying hens in the late phase of production. 2. Diets were arranged factorially (3 × 2 × 2) and consisted of a positive control with adequate Ca (4·37%) and nonphytate P (NPP; 0·39%) and a negative control diet with Ca (4·06%) and NPP (0·36 %); three concentrations of Withania somnifera (0, 65 and 130 mg/kg diet); and two concentrations of microbial phytase (0 and 300 U/kg diet). 3. A total of 144 72-week-old Hy-Line W36 laying hens were randomly assigned to the 12 treatment groups. Each treatment was replicated 4 times (4 x 3 hens). Egg production and egg weight were recorded daily, while feed intake and egg quality traits were recorded every two weeks. Bone quality traits were evaluated at the end of experiment. 4. Withania somnifera supplementation increased egg production and lowered egg weight only in the second two weeks...

21 citations


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