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.

Withania somnifera leaf alleviates cognitive dysfunction by enhancing hippocampal plasticity in high fat diet induced obesity model.

Abstract: Sedentary lifestyle, psychological stress and labor saving devices in this current society often disrupts the energy gain and expenditure balance leading to obesity. High caloric diet is associated with the high prevalence of cognitive dysfunction and neuropsychiatric disorders in addition to cardiovascular and metabolic abnormalities. The present study was aimed to elucidate the potential beneficial effect of dry leaf powder of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) in preventing the cognitive decline associated with diet induced obesity. Experiments were performed on four groups of young adult female rats: [Low fat diet (LFD) rats fed on regular low fat chow, High fat diet (HFD) rats on feed containing 30% fat by weight, Low fat diet extract (LFDE) rats given regular chow and dry leaf powder of Ashwagandha 1 mg/g of body weight (ASH) and high fat diet extract (HFDE) rats fed on diet containing high fat and dry leaf powder of ASH. All the rats were kept on their respective diet regimen for 12 weeks. ASH treated rats showed significant improvement in their working memory and locomotor coordination during behavioral studies as compared to HFD rats. At the molecular level, ASH treatment was observed to restore the levels of BDNF and its receptor TRKB as well as the expression of other synaptic regulators, which are highly implicated in synaptic plasticity. Further, ASH triggered the activation of PI3/AKT pathway of cell survival and plasticity by enhancing the levels of phosphorylated Akt-1 and immediate early genes viz. c-Jun and c-fos. ASH could be a key regulator in maintaining the synaptic plasticity in HFD induced obesity and can serve as a nootropic candidate against obesity induced cognitive impairments.

Amelioration of metformin-induced hypothyroidism by Withania somnifera and Bauhinia purpurea extracts in Type 2 diabetic mice.

Abstract: An investigation was carried out to reveal the possible ameliorative role of two plant extracts on an antidiabetic drug-induced hypothyroidism in Type 2 diabetic animals. Dexamethasone (1.0 mg/kg, i.m.) administration caused hyperglycemia with a parallel increase in renal lipid peroxidation (LPO), relative risk ratio (RR), and the concentrations of serum insulin; total cholesterol (TC); low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C); very low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) and triglycerides (TG). It decreased serum triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4) and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels as well as renal superoxide dismutase (SOD); catalase (CAT) and reduced glutathione (GSH) content. Administration with metformin (150 mg/kg, orally) to diabetic animals further reduced circulating T4 level and caused severe hypothyroidism. It also reduced renal LPO, RR, serum concentrations of insulin; glucose and LDL-C with a parallel increase in cellular antioxidants. While oral administration with either Withania somnifera (1.4 g/kg) or Bauhinia purpurea (2.5 mg/kg) extract along with dexamethasone and metformin elevated the concentrations of circulating T3 and T4 to euthyroid level. The plant extracts also corrected RR ratio and serum concentration of lipids. The findings of the present study, for the first time, reveal that the evaluated plant extracts have a potential to ameliorate metformin-induced hypothyroidism in Type 2 diabetic subjects. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Comparative analysis of the efficiency of SAMPL and AFLP in assessing genetic relationships among Withania somnifera genotypes

Abstract: Withania somnifera is a subtropical shrub with important medicinal properties. In the present study, the efficiency of Selectively Amplified Microsatellite Polymorphic Loci (SAMPL) assay in assessing the levels of genetic diversity among W. somnifera genotypes was analysed. Some genotypes of W. coagulans were used as outlier. A comparison of the SAMPL assay was made with the standard Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) technique. The SAMPL assay revealed higher levels of polymorphism among the tested W. somnifera genotypes compared to the use of AFLP. Significantly higher level of polymorphism was detected with SAMPL within both Kashmiri and Nagori genotypes. Cluster analysis showed clear groupings within the W. somnifera Kashmiri, W. somnifera Nagori and W. coagulans genotypes. The Nagori genotypes are separated from the Kashmiri genotypes at low similarity value, indicating that Nagori and Kashmiri types are highly divergent. One of the W. somnifera-specific bands generated with SAMPL was used to develop a simple PCR-based assay. The diagnostic markers thus generated can be used at the seedling stage to distinguish W. somnifera Kashmiri, W. somnifera Nagori and W. coagulans genotypes.