ÿþ<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN"> <html> <head> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=iso-8859-1"> <title>Withania Somnifera</title> <META NAME="description" CONTENT="Withania Somnifera (Ashwagandha) is a perennial shrub of the Solanaceae family that is native to India. Traditionally used as a tonic, Withania Somnifera extracts are now being studied for their neuron regenerative properties."> <META NAME="keywords" CONTENT="withania somnifera, Withania Somnifera"> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFF6EF"> <table bgcolor="#FFA500" width=865 align=center border=0 cellpadding=5> <!--row1--> <tr><td colspan="1" bgcolor="#FFA500" border=0> <h1>withania somnifera</h1></td> <td align="right" bgcolor="#FFA500" border=0> <form action="http://www.google.com/cse" id="cse-search-box"> <div> <input type="hidden" name="cx" value="partner-pub-3161100571814651:2816207497" /> <input type="hidden" name="ie" value="UTF-8" /> <input type="text" name="q" size="35" /> <input type="submit" name="sa" value="Search" /> </div> </form> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.google.com/coop/cse/brand?form=cse-search-box&amp;lang=en"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://www.google.com/cse/query_renderer.js"></script> <div id="queries"></div> <script src="http://www.google.com/cse/api/partner-pub-3161100571814651/cse/2816207497/queries/js?oe=UTF-8&amp;callback=(new+PopularQueryRenderer(document.getElementById(%22queries%22))).render"></script> </td></tr> </table> <table bgcolor="#FFE4B3" width=865 align=center border=0 cellpadding=5> <tr><td colspan=1> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-3161100571814651"; /* 336x280, created 6/30/10 */ google_ad_slot = "8849792571"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td> <td colspan=1> <font size="4"><B>Withania Somnifera</B></font> is a perennial shrub from the Solanaceae or Nightshade family. It is also known as Ashwagandha. The herbal root extract has been traditionally used as a tonic and as a sedative but recent research shows that the leaf extract contains Withanolides which have been found to have regenerative properties on brain-cell synapses in mice and in human cell lines in laboratory studies. <h3>Classification of the Plant</h3> <UL> <LI>Family: Solanaceae (Nightshade family)<BR> <LI>Genus: Withania<BR> <LI>Species: Somnifera<BR> <LI>Scientific Name: Withania Somnifera (Dunal) </UL> </td></tr> </table> <table bgcolor="#FFE4B3" width=865 align=center border=0 cellpadding=5> <tr><td colspan="1"> <H3>Distribution</H3>Withania Somnifera grows abundantly in India (especially Madhya Pradesh), Pakistan, Bangla Desh, Sri Lanka and parts of northern Africa. <h3>Botany</h3> <UL> <LI>Height: usually 30-60 cm but can grow up to 170 cm. <LI>Shape: upright and stout shrub with central stem. <LI>Branches: star-shaped branching; branches are covered in fine hairs. <LI>Leaves: alternate and ovate, up to 10 cm long and up to 5 cm wide. <LI>Flowers: yellow petals on the inside but with a green outer-covering layer. <LI>Fruit: red berries in papery protective covering (calyx). <LI>Roots: long, fleshy tubers. </UL> </td> <td colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="200" bgcolor="#FFE4B3"><IMG SRC="withaniasomnifera.jpg" width="200" ALT="Withania Somnifera"><font size="2"> withania somnifera</font> </td></tr> </table> <table bgcolor="#FFE4B3" width=865 align=center border=0 cellpadding=5> <tr><td colspan="1"> <h3>Environmental Niche and Cultivation</h3> <Ul> <LI>Niche: <UL> <LI>found naturally in dry areas and in waste areas <LI>Soil: sandy loam to light red soils <LI>Climate required: dry climate having 65-75 cm per annum of rain and temperature of 20-38 C. <LI>Altitude: up to 1500 m above sea level </UL> <LI>Cultivation: <UL> <LI>Furrows: 60 x 60 cm; hand seeding <LI>Cultivation time: 1 year - when the leaves are dry the plant is uprooted and the roots are separated from the aerial parts. <LI>Fertilizers: none required <LI>Diseases of the plant: leaf spot disease </UL> </UL> <h3>Synonyms for Withania Somnifera</h3> <UL> <LI>Physalis somnifera <LI>Indian names: Ashwagandha ("horse smell" in Sanskrit); Kanaje (Hindi); Amukkara (Tamil). <LI>English name: Winter Cherry; Indian Ginseng. <LI>Chinese Name: awƒ (Shui Qie). </UL> </td> <td colspan="1" align="right" width="340" bgcolor="#FFE4B3"> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-3161100571814651"; /* LargeRectangle-midright */ google_ad_slot = "0772628874"; google_ad_width = 336; google_ad_height = 280; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </td></tr> </table> <table bgcolor="FFE4B3" width=865 align=center border=0 cellpadding=5> <tr><td><h3>Extracts of Withania Somnifera</h3> <UL> <LI>Ashwagandha Root: this contains the traditional herbal tonic marketed as "Ashwagandha". <LI>Ashwagandha Leaf and Root Extract (mixture): the leaves contain significant withanolide and withanoside content; these molecules in ashwagandha leaf and root extract are now measured and standardized. The current formulations have the following dosages of withanolides: 1.5%; 2.5%; 4.5%; 8%. These products are marketed as "Ashwagandha Extract". Particular constituents (withanolide A, withanoside IV, and withanoside VI) have shown significant effects on the re-growth of brain-cell synapses in mice and in human cell lines in the laboratory. Further research is under way in Japan to test withanolide type molecules before testing them clinically. <LI><a href="http://www.withanolide.com">more on Withanolide</a> <LI><A HREF="http://www.turmericextract.com/te-research/turmeric-extract-research.htm">see also Turmeric Extract</A> which may complement the work of Ashwagandha (in the case of Alzheimer's disease). </UL> </td></tr> </table> <!--row5--> <table bgcolor="FFE4B3" width=865 align=center border=0 cellpadding=5> <tr><td colspan=1> <h3>Historical Uses of Withania Somnifera</h3> The leaves, berries and tubers of Ashwagandha have been in use for centuries in India as a home remedy and the extract is an important part of Indian Ayurvedic medicine. It has been used in the following ways: <UL> <LI>General tonic and "adaptogen", helping the body adapt to stress, especially for geriatrics; to promote strength and vigor; <LI>used as sedative or calming agent and for insomnia: the species Latin name "somnifera" means "soporific"/"tending to cause sleep"; <LI>Sexual vitality; <LI>Liver tonic; <LI>Anti-inflammatory agent; it us used to treat rheumatic pain and arthritis; <LI>Coagulant: the berries are used as a substitute for rennet, to coagulate milk in cheese making. </UL> <P align="center"> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-3161100571814651"; /* Leaderboard728x90Image */ google_ad_slot = "6148683044"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 90; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> </P> </td></tr> <tr><td colspan=1> <h3>Publications on the Subject of Withania Somnifera</h3> <UL> <LI>Dhalla, N.S., K.C. Gupta, N.S. Sastry and C.L. Malhotra: "Comparative studies of Withania somnifera Dunal and Withania ashwagandha Kaul", in Indian Journal of Pharmacy 23, 5, 126--127, 1961. <LI>Sandhya Singh, Sushil Kumar: Withania somnifera: the Indian ginseng ashwagandha, Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants, 1998. </UL> </td></tr> <tr><td colspan=1 align="center"> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "ca-pub-3161100571814651"; /* Wide link */ google_ad_slot = "3290598114"; google_ad_width = 728; google_ad_height = 15; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <HR size=8 width="100%" color="#FFA500"> </td></tr> </table> <!--row7--> <table bgcolor="#FFE4B3" width=865 align=center border=0 cellpadding=5> <tr><td colspan=1> <h3>Natural substances for health:</h3> <a href="http://www.ananain.com">Ananain and Comosain</a> (from Pineapple stem)<BR> <a href="http://www.curcumalonga.com">Curcuma Longa</a><BR> <a href="http://www.curcumenol.com">Curcumenol</a><BR> <a href="http://www.ficain.com">Ficain</a> (from Fig Trees)<BR> <a href="http://www.licoricerootextract.com">Licorice Root Extract</a><BR> <a href="http://www.pettyspurge.com">Petty Spurge</a> and <a href="http://www.euphorbiapeplus.com">Euphorbia Peplus</a><BR> <a href="http://www.rosmarinicacid.com">Rosmarinic Acid</a> (from Rosemary, Sage)<BR> <a href="http://www.spanishsage.com">Spanish Sage</a><BR> <a href="http://www.turmericextract.com">Turmeric Extract</a><BR> <a href="http://www.vineatrol.com">Vineatrol</a> (from Grapevine shoots)<BR> <a href="http://www.withaniasomnifera.com">Withania Somnifera</a> (Ashwagandha)<BR> <a href="http://www.withanolide.com">Withanolide</a> (from Ashwagandha)<BR> <a href="http://www.zerumbone.com">Zerumbone</a> (from Ginger) </td> <td valign="top"> <a href="http://www.turmericextract.com/glucosemeter/glucosemeter.htm">Glucose Meter</a> <h3>Natural-energy technology for living:</h3> <a href="http://www.phosolar.com">Phosolar</a> (phosphorescent solar electricity) </td></tr> <tr><td colspan=3 bgcolor="#FFA500"><font size=2>This website acknowledges Pubmed (www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov) as source for research abstracts. <BR><BR>These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. 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