User:Kavvyasharma/Withania somnifera

Traditional medicine[edit]
The plant, particularly its root powder, has been used for centuries in traditional Indian medicine, but there is no good evidence that it is safe or effective for treating any disease, and may cause adverse effects if taken together with prescription drugs. Side effects may include diarrhea, skin burning and discoloration, sedation, liver injury, thyrotoxicosis, increased testosterone levels, and miscarriage.

General There has been extensive research on the pharmacological implications, as well as the clinical therapeutic effects of Withania somnifera. The article “Pharmacologic overview of Withania somnifera, the Indian Ginseng” by Dar et al. 2015 in the journal Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences outlines the effects of the plant which include, but are not limited to: anti-parasitic, astringent, diuretic, anti-cancer, and even aphrodisiac- this includes the roots and the flowers of the plant. In addition to these a large application of this plant is that it is used as stress relieving and anti-anxiety herbal supplement; in human test subjects serum cortisol levels were decreased significantly with the absence of side effects (Dar et al. 2015).

 Pharmacology 

Anti stress

Ashwagandha has been widely studied in the context of potential herbal therapy for mental health conditions such as chronic depression and anxiety, as well as acute stress relief. Ashwagandha is an anxiolytic herb; anxiolytic effects were observed in adult humans that endured high levels of stress (Lorpresti et al. 2019, Pratte et al. 2019). Lopresti et al. 2019 reached the conclusion that constituents of Withania somnifera affect the hypothalamus-pituitary adrenal axis via homeostatic effects. The herb has also proven to elicit convalescent stress tolerance in mammals (Dar et al. 2015). A study done in mice demonstrated ashwagandha root efficacy by regulating induced chronic stress (Khan et al. 2006). Ashwagandha has been classified as an adaptogen and has effects similar to traditional treatments such as benzodiazepines (Pratte et al. 2019).

Antimicrobial/ Antifungal/ Antiparasitic effects

There have also been studies pondering the antimicrobial and antifungal properties of Ashwagandha. There has been definite conclusions reached by researchers that prove that the plant can provide defence against common bacterial infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus spp., E. coli, Pseudomonas spp., Salmonella spp., and more (Dar et al. 2015). In the context of oral health, it was found that biofilm production caused by Streptococcus bacteria  was inhibited due to decreased acid production and tolerance as a result of Ashwagandha interactions. Other anti-microbial mechanisms have been deemed to be the result of cytotoxicity and gene silencing (Dar et al. 2015). Anti-fungal properties have also been noted as a result of the preceding research. Fungi such as Aspergillus spp. and Fusarium spp. reproduce asexually through spores; a glycoprotein isolated from the roots of the Ashwagandha plant inhibits spore germination and growth stages to cease reproduction of the fungi (Girish et al. 2006, Dar et al. 2015). The Withania somnifera glycoprotein exhibited vigorous anti-fungal responses to molds and fungi such as A. flavus, F. oxysporum, and more (Pradhan & Girish 2006).