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The Bark Side (Take a Walk on the WILD Side) Botanicals A-Z Ashwagandha-Summary of Properties | Ashwagandha-Summary of Properties |
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| Written by Dr Margaret | |
| Apr 16, 2008 at 12:31 AM | |
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ASHWAGANDHA Summary of Effects: 1. Antimicrobial activity against fungi Aspergillus flavus, Fusarium oxysporum, F. verticilloides and a range of bacteria including Salmonella typhimurium. 2. Anti-cancer effects have been demonstrated in animal studies, with evidence that it inhibits proliferation of tumour cells, improves sensitivity to radiation therapy, reduces loss of white cells(neutropaenia) during chemotherapy, increased levels of gamma interferon, interleukin-2 and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor. It also inhibits activation of NF- B and NF- B-regulated gene expression, which may explain the ability of ashwagandha to enhance apoptosis(programmed cell death) and inhibit invasion and osteoclastogenesis. There is evidence to support Ashwagandha may be a natural proteasome inhibitor.It has also been shown to increase bone marrow cellularity and normalize the red blood cell ratios as well as improving neutropenia caused by chemotherapy,.possibly due to stem cell proliferation Please note that very large doses were used in the animal studies, although without adverse effects.3.Anti-inflammatory effects in animals including effectiveness against arthritis in animals 4. Antioxidant effects Animal studies have demonstrated withanolides inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and proliferation of tumor cells 5 Memory enhancement effects Botanical name: Withania somniferaAlso known as Indian ginseng, Winter cherry, Ajagandha, Kanaje Hindi and Samm Al Ferakh, it is from the family Solanaceae or nightshade family. Ashwagandha in Sanskrit means "horse's smell", possibly originating from the odor of its root which resembles that of sweaty horse. It is a shrub which can grow to a height of approximately 170 centimetres when fully matured, has yellow flowers and a red colored fruit which berrylike in size and shape. This herb is native to India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and is commercially. cultivated in Madhya Pradesh. It is also found in Africa, the Canary Islands, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Mauritius, Greece,Italy and Spain. Historical and Traditional Use: It is widely used in the Ayurvedic system of medicine it is regarded as a balancing herb and applied to a range of illnesses. It is considered to be an adaptogen, aiding the body in adapting to stress, to ”normalise” physiological function by working on the hypothalamic-pituitary axis and neuroendocrine system. It is known for its role in the treatment of:· Fatigue .It is known as a "vitalizer" or energizer of the human body. It allegedly asists in calming the nervous system, providing relief from physical fatigue and aids in alleviating “nervous exhaustion”, · Memory loss such is in Alzheimer’s DiseaseAnd for its:· Sedative action. The herbal remedies made from the ashwaganda apparently act as a mild sedative and it reduce mental turmoil and promote a calm sleep in a person with an agitated or stressed mind.· Aid in tissue regeneration · Anti-aging effects. Claims that it can retard the aging process in individuals using the remedy for long periods of time.Ashwagandha is also alleged to be able to treat the following conditions: · Tumors · Cancer · Fevers · Inflammatory conditions · Arthritis · Asthma · Immune Disorders· Hypertension · Infections · Cholesterol-lowering · Cardioprotective Active Ingredients: The main active constituents of ashwagandha are alkaloids and steroidal lactones. Among the various alkaloids, withanine is the main constituent. The other alkaloids are somniferine, somnine, somniferinine, withananine, pseudo-withanine, tropine, pseudo-tropine, 3-a-gloyloxytropane, choline, cuscohygrine, isopelletierine, anaferine and anahydrine. Two acyl steryl glucoside viz. sitoindoside VII and sitoindoside VIII have been isolated from root. The leaves contain steroidal lactones, which are commonly called withanolides. The withanolides have C28 steroidal nucleus with C9 side chain, having six membered lactone ring. Pharmacological Effects and Published Supporting Studies Three main effects have been extensively studied in animals, which include anti-cancer effects, anti-inflammatory effects and neurological/memory enhancing effects. There is also published material on its antimicrobial effects. Some animal studies also exist on the effects of ashwagandha on stress in animals and antioxidant effects. Human studies are lacking. Summaries of the main effects studied include: 1. Anti- stress: Researchers Archana and Nivasivayam from the Department of Physiology, University of Madras, India stressed adult Wistar albino rats using a cold water swimming test and compared those pre-treated with Ashwaganda with untreated rats and found those pretreated with Ashwagandha showed fewer physiological signs of stress.( 2. Archana and Nivasivayam 1999)Bhatnagar and colleagues found Ashwandha effective in reducing stress induced gastric ulcers in rats (3 Bhatnagar et al 2005) Dhuley demonstrated a reduction in the stress-induced rise in lipid peroxidation in experimental rabbits and mice treated with ashwagandha supporting its anti-stress properties.(3.Dhuley 1998) References 1. US Dept of Agriculture Germplasm Resources Information Network(GRIN) 2. Antistressor effect of Withania somnifera.R Archana and A Namasivayam J Ethnopharmacol, Jan 1999; 64(1): 91-3.3. Effect of ashwagandha on lipid peroxidation in stress-induced animals.Antiulcer and Antioxidant Activity of Asparagus racemosus WILLD and Withania somnifera DUNAL in Rats M BHATNAGARa, S. S. SISODIAb AND R BHATNAGARc Annals of the New York Academy of Science. Natural Products and Molecular Therapy Volume 1056 published November 2005 Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci. 1056: 261–278 (2005). doi: 10.1196/annals.1352.027 Copyright © 2005 by the New York Academy of Sciences JN Dhuley J Ethnopharmacol, March 1, 1998; 60(2): 173-8. Other Effects Discussed in Next Section
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| Last Updated ( Apr 17, 2008 at 01:55 AM ) |
