Withania Somnifera

Classification of the Plant

• Family: Solanaceae (Potato family)
  
• Genus: Withania
  
• Species: Somnifera
  
• Scientific Name: Withania Somnifera (Dunal)

Distribution

Botany

• Height: up to 170 cm
• Shape: upright and stout shrub.
• Leaves: alternate and ovate, up to 10 cm long and up to 5 cm wide.
• Flowers: yellow
• Fruit: red berries in papery protective covering (calyx).
• Roots: long, fleshy tubers.

Environmental Niche and Cultivation

• Niche: found naturally in dry areas and in waste areas
• Soil: sandy loam to light red soils
• Climate required: dry climate having 65-75 cm per annum of rain and temperature of 20-38 C.
• Altitude: up to 1500 m above sea level
• Furrows: 60 x 60 cm; hand seeding
• Cultivation time: 1 year - when the leaves are dry the plant is uprooted and the roots are separated from the aerial parts.
• Fertilizers: none required
• Diseases of the plant: leaf spot disease

Synonyms for Withania Somnifera

• Sanskrit/Indian Name: Ashwagandha ("Ashwa" means "horse" and "gandha" means "smell": the roots of the plant have the smell of a sweaty horse.)
• English name: Winter Cherry; Indian Ginseng.

Extracts of Withania Somnifera

• Ashwagandha - the herbal medicine comes from the roots; the root is dried and powdered; in traditional Indian medicine toxins are removed by simmering the root in milk which is then discarded. The final product is taken orally. The extract is available in capsule form.
• Ashwagandha Extract: the withanolide content of ashwagandha is now measured and standardized. The current formulations have the following dosages of withanolides: 1.5%; 2.5%; 4.5%; 8%. Available in capsule form. The 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.
• more on Withanolide

Historical Uses of Withania Somnifera

• General tonic and "adaptogen", helping the body adapt to stress, especially for geriatrics; to promote strength and vigor;
• used as sedative or calming agent and for insomnia: the species name somnifera means "sleep-bearing" in Latin;
• Sexual vitality;
• Liver tonic;
• Anti-inflammatory agent; it us used to treat rheumatic pain and arthritis;
• Coagulant: the berries are used as a substitute for rennet, to coagulate milk in cheese making.

Side Effects of Withania Somnifera

• Ashwagandha is non-toxic at normal doses (up to 2g per day for up to 3 months);
• At high dosages (5g per day for 30 days) some toxicity is noted (spleen, thymus, adrenal glands); longer term use (180 days) at high dosage also results in some toxicity (heart and adrenals);
• ashwagandha has some abortifacient effects; avoid use if pregnant or lactating.

Other natural substances: