Abstract
Withania somnifera (L) Dunal is commonly called as Ashwagandha/Asgand and it belongs to the family Solanaceae. It is a well known medicinal plant widely used in the treatment of many clinical conditions in Indian subcontinent. It is an important medicinal plant commonly known as Asgand which has been used either single or in combination with other drugs in Unani as well as Ayurvedic system of medicine for centuries. It has been described by Dioscorides (78 AD) in his book Kitab-ul-Hashaish. Asgand consists of the roots of Withania somnifera which has various therapeutic actions such as anti - inflammatory (Muhallil-e-Warm), sedative (Musakkin), aphrodisiac (Muqawwi-e-Bah), hepatoprotective, immune-modulator activity, anti-oxidant, anti-ageing, anti-tumour activity, adaptogenic activity and has anti-anticonvulsant activity. Keeping in view the medicinal properties of Withania somnifera Dunal (Asgand), an attempt has been made in this paper to explore various dimensions of the drug including phytochemical and pharmacological studies carried out on this herb.Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. June 2016, 2(2): 148-155
Highlights
Ashwagandha is a small, woody shrub in the Solanaceae family that grows about two feet in height
In Unani system of medicine, roots of Withania somnifera commonly known as Asgand are used for the medicinal properties
The results suggest Withania somnifera stimulates thyroidal activity and promotes hepatic antioxidant activity
Summary
Ashwagandha is a small, woody shrub in the Solanaceae family that grows about two feet in height. It can be found growing in Africa, the Mediterranean and Indian subcontinent. Leaves of the plant are reported to be used medicinally (Anonymous, 1982) This plant grows widely in all dried parts and subtropical India (widely cultivated in Bikaner and Pilani areas of Rajasthan, Rajputana, Punjab, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Manasa (M.P.), Congo, South Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Syria and Turkey (Anonymous, 2007a; Dey and Bahadur, 1973; Dymock and Warden, 1976; Kirtikar and Basu , 1980; Nadkarni, 1982)
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