WITHANIA 1185
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Withania
HISTORICAL NOTE The name ashwagandha (one of the common names for this herb) comes from the
Sanskrit, meaning ‘horse-like smell’. Apparently, this name not only refers to the smell of the herb but also to its
strengthening and aphrodisiac qualities. It is often referred to as ‘Indian ginseng’ because it is used in much the
same way as Panax ginseng in traditional Chinese medicine, although it is considered less stimulating. In Ayurvedic
medicine it is classified as a ‘rasayana’, used to promote physical and mental health and improve vitality and
longevity (Kulkarni & Dhir 2008).
OTHER NAMES
Ashwagandha (and a variety of spellings, including
ashvagandha, ashwaganda, asvagandha), Ayurvedic
ginseng, Indian ginseng, winter cherry.
BOTANICAL NAME/FAMILY
Withania somnifera (family Solanaceae)
Sometimes confused with Physalis alkekengi, also
known as winter cherry, and another related species
with known medicinal properties, Withania coagulans
(Mirjalili et al 2009).
PLANT PARTS USED
Primarily root and leaves, although berry and bark
are sometimes used.
CHEMICAL COMPONENTS
Steroidal lactones (comprising 40 withanolides, e.g.
withaferin A), 12 alkaloids (including withanine,
somniferine, isopelletierine, anaferine, tropine, pseu-
dotropine), flavonoids, saponins, sitoindosides, iron,
choline, acylsteryl glucosides, coumarins (scopoletin
and aesculetin), triterpene (beta-amyrin), phytoster-
ols (stigmasterol, stigmasterol glucoside, beta-sitosterol
and beta-sitosterol glucoside), polysaccharides, Viscosa
lactone B, alpha + beta glucose, essential oils (ipura-
nol, withaniol) (Abou-Douh 2002, Kulkarni &
Verma 1993, Mills & Bone 2000, Mirjalili et al
2009, Misra et al 2008).
Plants sourced from Sardinia, Italy have signifi-
cantly higher levels of withaferin A content than
those sourced from India or Sicily (Scartezzini et al
2007).
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MAIN ACTIONS
Withania and several of its key constituents have
been subjected to scientific investigation in vitro
and in vivo. While it is important to understand the
pharmacological actions of individual components,
clinical effects are difficult to predict from these studies
as the ultimate effect of the herbal treatment will be
a result of many intraherbal interactions.
Adaptogen (modulates stress responses)
Withania has been shown to attenuate the negative
effects of chronic stress in rats, including hypergly-
caemia, glucose intolerance, increase in plasma cor-
ticosteroid levels, gastric ulcerations, male sexual
dysfunction, cognitive deficits, immunosuppression
and mental depression (Bhattacharya & Muruganan-
dam 2003, Kour et al 2009).
Animal trials have shown that a withanolide-free
hydrosoluble fraction of withania reduces the stress
response induced both chemically and physically
(Singh et al 2003). It suppresses stress-induced
increases in dopamine receptors in the corpus stria-
tum and acts as a gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)-
mimetic agent by binding to GABA receptors (Mehta
et al 1991, Upton 2000). Animal studies also suggest W
an ability to reduce adrenal weight and plasma cor-
tisol levels (Kurandikar et al 1986), thus potentially
protecting against the negative effects of elevated cor-
tisol levels in chronic stress and allostasis.
Cognitive enhancement
The potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity of
withania in vitro may help to explain its traditional