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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 results established that SMT1 plays a crucial role in W. somnifera withanolide biosynthesis predominantly through the campesterol and stigmasterol routes.
Abstract: The medicinal properties of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) are accredited to a group of compounds called withanolides. 24-Methylene cholesterol is the intermediate for sterol biosynthesis and a proposed precursor of withanolide biogenesis. However, conversion of 24-methylene cholesterol to withaferin A and other withanolides has not yet been biochemically dissected. Hence, in an effort to fill this gap, an important gene, encoding S-adenosyl l-methionine-dependent sterol-C24-methyltransferase type 1 (SMT1), involved in the first committed step of sterol biosynthesis, from W. somnifera was targeted in the present study. Though SMT1 has been characterized in model plants such as Nicotiana tabacum and Arabidopsis thaliana, its functional role in phytosterol and withanolide biosynthesis was demonstrated for the first time in W. somnifera. Since SMT1 acts at many steps preceding the withanolide precursor, the impact of this gene in channeling of metabolites for withanolide biosynthesis and its regulatory nature was illustrated by suppressing the gene in W. somnifera via the RNA interference (RNAi) approach. Interestingly, down-regulation of SMT1 in W. somnifera led to reduced levels of campesterol, sitosterol and stigmasterol, with an increase of cholesterol content in the transgenic RNAi lines. In contrast, SMT1 overexpression in transgenic N. tabacum enhanced the level of all phytosterols except cholesterol, which was not affected. The results established that SMT1 plays a crucial role in W. somnifera withanolide biosynthesis predominantly through the campesterol and stigmasterol routes.

12 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The derivation of anaferine from lysine and acetate has been demonstrated in intact Withania somnifera plants and N-Methylisopel letierine is shown to be the immediate precursor of psueudopelletierine.
Abstract: The biosynthesis of isopeletierine [1-(2-piperidyl)propan-2-one], N-methylisopelletierine, and pseudopelletierine (9-methyl-9-azabicylo[3,3,1]nonan-3-one) in intact Punica granatum plants has been studied N-Methylisopelletierine is shown to be derived from lysine and acetate Acetate is shown to be the precursor of the three-carbon unit in isopelletierine and pseudopelletierine N-Methylisopelletierine is shown to be the immediate precursor of psueudopelletierineThe derivation of anaferine from lysine and acetate has been demonstrated in intact Withania somnifera plants Isopelletierine has also been shown to be a precursor of anaferine

12 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Compared with the untreated CAM, the fermented sample reduced CAM vascularization, suggesting it was free of any toxicity.
Abstract: The three ayurvedic medicinal plants, Withania somnifera, Emblica officinalis, and Bacopa monnieri, were extracted by high-pressure static extraction using the Zippertex® technology. The extracts were mixed to reach quantifiable amounts of active compounds identified by high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) analysis. The mixture of extracts was incubated with resting cells of the fungus Beauveria bassiana ATCC 7159. The fermentation promoted the fluidization of the starting dense mixture, while HPLC monitoring evidenced the disappearance of glucogallin from E. officinalis extract and the concomitant increase in gallic acid content. Topical exposure of the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) to the nonfermented extract led to the extensive necrosis and destruction of the treated membrane. However, the fermented extract was shown to be free of any toxicity. Furthermore, compared with the untreated CAM, the fermented sample reduced CAM vascularization, suggesting it...

12 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Topological characters and conserved nature of two SGTs from W. somnifera are revealed, besides being ubiquitous in nature and with broad substrate specificity, difference between WsSGTL1 and Ws SGTL4 is briefly described by difference in stability (binding energy) of enzyme-substrate complexes through comparative docking.
Abstract: Sterol glycosyltransferases (SGTs) are ubiquitous but one of the most diverse group of enzymes of glycosyltransferases family. Members of this family modulate physical and chemical properties of secondary plant products important for various physiological processes. The role of SGTs has been demonstrated in the biosynthesis of pharmaceutically important molecules of medicinal plants like Withania somnifera. Analysis suggested conserved behaviour and high similarity in active sites of WsSGTs with other plant GTs. Substrate specificity of WsSGTs were analysed through docking performance of WsSGTs with different substrates (sterols and withanolides). Best docking results of WsSGTL1 in the form of stable enzyme-substrate complex having lowest binding energies were obtained with brassicasterol, transandrosteron and WsSGTL4 with solasodine, stigmasterol and 24-methylene cholesterol. This study reveals topological characters and conserved nature of two SGTs from W. somnifera (WsSGTs) i.e. WsSGTL1 and WsSGTL4. However, besides being ubiquitous in nature and with broad substrate specificity, difference between WsSGTL1 and WsSGTL4 is briefly described by difference in stability (binding energy) of enzyme-substrate complexes through comparative docking.

12 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The potential of full-spectrum, high concentration Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), an Ayurvedic medicinal herb, root extract to increase telomerase activity is reported to have the anti-aging inducing potential.
Abstract: Aging is a decelerating unidirectional process of life. Shortening of telomeric DNA, the (TTAGGG)n hexanucleotide repeats, which form the caps at the chromosome ends, is implicated to determine the aging process, and more importantly the healthy lifespan itself. Telomerase, a ribonucleoprotein having reverse transcriptase activity, arrests telomere loss through addition of the TTAGGG repeats de novo, to the ends of the chromosome. The telomere/telomerase maintenance is an inevitable necessity to delay aging and for a healthy lifespan. Here, we report the potential of full-spectrum, high concentration Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), an Ayurvedic medicinal herb, root extract to increase telomerase activity. HeLa cells, when treated with various concentrations of Ashwagandha root extract, showed an increase in telomerase activity measured with the established Telomerase Rapid Amplification Protocol (TRAP) assay. Ashwagandha root extract increased telomerase activity with highest enhancement of ~45% at 10 - 50 μg concentration. Thus, Ashwagandha root extract has the anti-aging inducing potential.

12 citations


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