Controversies in Ashwagandha research and commercialisation

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), or Indian ginseng, is an herb commonly used in the traditional Indian home medicine system, Ayurveda. In traditional Ayurvedic formulations, Ashwagandha roots have been commonly used for a variety of therapeutic and health-promoting potentials. It is part of the genus Withania, comprising about 23 species, and is named as such because its root smells like horse (Ashwa) urine and is believed to provide power like a horse when consumed. Among the Ayurvedic “Rasayana” herbs, Ashwagandha holds the most prominent place. Ashwagandha extracts contain more than 200 primary and secondary metabolites, including alkaloids, flavone glycosides, glycovitanolides, steroidal lactones (withanolides), saponins, sterols, and phenols that can be used for the prevention and treatment of various diseases such as arthritis, obesity, anxiety, hypothyroidism, cognitive and neurological disorders, and Parkinson's disease. To date, the literature has reported more than 12 alkaloids and 35 withanolides that have been purified, identified, and characterised from the roots, fruits, leaves, and aerial parts of Withania species. Ashwagandha is an adaptogen that mimics the body's stress-reducing hormones and increases the body's ability to recover from stress while creating an overall feeling of balance and normalisation. The predominant bioactives are withaferin A, withanolide A, and withanone. In most cases, the preventive and therapeutic potentials have been assigned to its bioactive components, steroidal alkaloids, and lactones.