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.

Immunostimulants in Ayurveda medicine

Abstract: Ayurveda is the traditional medicinal system of India and is believed to have originated over six thousand years ago. It is a science that describes ways to remain healthy as well as methods to treat disease. The name itself means “Knowledge (Veda) of Life (Ayu)”. Although Ayurveda gives equal emphasis to diet and life-style, drugs (and among these, plants) form an important mainstay in the therapy [1].

In vitro mass propagation and greenhouse establishment of Withania somnifera (l.) dunal (solanaceae) and comparison of growth and chemical compounds of tissue cultured and seed raised plants

Abstract: Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Solanaceae) is normally propagated by seeds. The percentage germination is low, due to the presence of certain inhibitory compounds in the fruit. Among the local and Indian cultivars, the Indian cultivar is preferred by the pharmaceutical industry due to the starchy nature of roots. The local cultivar is listed as a threatened plant. In the present study, W. somnifera was successfully mass propagated in vitro, acclimatized and compared with seed raised plants. The best callus production was observed in Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium supplemented with 1.0 µM kinetin (Kin), 4.5 µM benzyl amino purine (BAP), and 1.5 µM naphthelene acetic acid (NAA) within a 14 day dark period. Shoot initiation was observed in calli produced from shoot tips and nodal segments cultured in the above medium but not from the calli produced from leaf pieces. The highest shoot multiplication was observed in calli from nodal segments cultured in the presence of 9.0 µM BAP and 1.0 µM indole-3-actic acid (IAA) (11.30±1.60). Growth regulator free MS medium was the best medium for rooting. In vitro produced plants were acclimatized successfully (80%) in a potting mixture of river sand: top soil: compost (2: 1: 1). The rate of photosynthesis was higher in tissue cultured plants at three months (4.86±0.40 and 5.67±0.31 for morning and noon respectively) and six months (6.20±0.52 and 6.67±0.33 for morning and noon respectively), while stomatal resistance showed the opposite of that. TLC fingerprints indicated that there was no significant difference in chemical identities (steroids) present in tissue cultured and seed raised plants.

Callus induction and in vivo and in vitro comparative study of primary metabolites of Withania Somnifera

Abstract: In present study callus was raised from the leaf explant of Withania somnifera. Maximum callus was obtained on MS medium supplemented with 2, 4- D 1.0 mg/liter and IBA 0.5 mg/liter. The callus and different plant parts were used for primary metabolite quantification and antioxidant activity. Maximum soluble sugars found in callus, maximum amount of starch, protein and phenolic contents were found in stem and maximum lipid found in leaf.

Effects of Withania somnifera and Tinospora cordifolia Extracts on the Side Population Phenotype of Human Epithelial Cancer Cells: Toward Targeting Multidrug Resistance in Cancer

Abstract: Recent reports suggest the existence of a subpopulation of stem-like cancer cells, termed as cancer stem cells (CSCs), which bear functional and phenotypic resemblance with the adult, tissue-resident stem cells. Side population (SP) assay based on differential efflux of Hoechst 33342 has been effectively used for the isolation of CSCs. The drug resistance properties of SP cells are typically due to the increased expression of ABC transporters leading to drug efflux. Conventionally used chemotherapeutic drugs may often leads to an enrichment of SP, revealing their inability to target the drug-resistant SP and CSCs. Thus, identification of agents that can reduce the SP phenotype is currently in vogue in cancer therapeutics. Withania somnifera (WS) and Tinospora cordifolia (TC) have been used in Ayurveda for treating various diseases, including cancer. In the current study, we have investigated the effects of ethanolic (ET) extracts of WS and TC on the cancer SP phenotype. Interestingly, we found significant decrease in SP on treatment with TC-ET, but not with WS-ET. The SP-inhibitory TC-ET was further fractionated into petroleum ether (TC-PET), dichloromethane (TC-DCM), and n-butyl alcohol (TC-nBT) fractions using bioactivity-guided fractionation. Our data revealed that TC-PET and TC-DCM, but not TC-nBT, significantly inhibited SP in a dose-dependent manner. Furthermore, flow cytometry-based functional assays revealed that TC-PET and TC-DCM significantly inhibited ABC-B1 and ABC-G2 transporters and sensitized cancer cells toward chemotherapeutic drug-mediated cytotoxicity. Thus, the TC-PET and TC-DCM may harbor phytochemicals with the potential to reverse the drug-resistant phenotype, thus improving the efficacy of cancer chemotherapy.

Prophylactic effect of Withania somnifera on inflammation in a non-autoimmune prone murine model of lupus.

Abstract: The immunosuppressive properties of an aqueous suspension of Withania somnifera (WS) root powder were investigated in a pristine induced female Balb/c model of a systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) like disease. The course of disease is initiated by peritoneal inflammation caused by pristane which results in development of SLE like symptoms, i.e. autoantibody production, proteinuria, and nephritis within a period of five to six months. The model of SLE was established by injecting 0.5 mL of pristane intraperitoneally into female Balb/c mice (12-18 weeks old). WS root powder (500 mg and 1,000 mg per kg body weight) was administered orally from one month prior to disease induction and for the following 6 months. Parameters of inflammation like nitric oxide (NO), Interleukin 6 and tumour necrosis factor-α and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in serum and/or ascitic fluid were measured. Prophylactic administration of WS root powder (500 mg and 1,000 mg per kg body weight) potently inhibits the proinflammatory cytokines, NO, and ROS in the ascetic fluid as well as in serum. Therefore, our results indicate a preventive effect of WS root powder on the mouse model of lupus.