Tinctura Withaniae Ashwagandha tincture 30ml (Withania somnifera) ORGANIC GROW

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a short, tender perennial shrub from Solanaceae plant family growing 35–75 cm tall. Tomentose branches extend radially from a central stem. Leaves are dull green, elliptic, usually up to 10–12 cm long. The flowers are small, green and bell-shaped. The ripe fruit is orange-red.

 

Laboratory analysis has revealed over 35 chemical constituents contained in the roots of Withania somnifera. The biologically active chemical constituents are alkaloids (isopellertierine, anferine), steroidal lactones (withanolides, withaferins), saponins containing an additional acyl group (sitoindoside VII and VIII), and withanoloides with a glucose at carbon 27 (sitonidoside XI and X). Withania somnifera is also rich in iron. The roots of Withania somnifera consist primarily of compounds known as withanolides, which are believed to account for its extraordinary medicinal properties.

Centuries of Ayurvedic medical experience using Withania somnifera have revealed it to have pharmacological value as an adaptogen, antibiotic, aboritifacient, aphrosidiac, astringent, antiinflammatory, deobstruent, diuretic, narcotic, sedative, and tonic. Ashwagandha has been found to: Provide potent antioxidant protection. Stimulate the activation of immune system cells, such as lymphocytes and phagocytes. Counteract the effects of stress and generally promote wellness. 

 

Withaferin A exhibits fairly potent anti-arthritic and anti-inflammatory activities. Anti-inflammatory activity has been attributed to biologically active steroids, of which Withaferin A is a major component. It is as effective as hydrocortisone sodium succinate dose for dose. It was found to suppress effectively arthritic syndrome without any toxic effect.

The antibiotic activity of the roots as well as leaves has recently been shown experimentally. Withaferin A in concentration of 10μg/ml inhibited the growth of various Gram-positive bacteria, acid-fast and aerobic bacilli, and pathogenic fungi. It was active against Micrococcus pyogenes var aureus and partially inhibited the activity of Bacillus subtilis glucose-6-phosphatedehydrogenase. Withaferin A inhibited Ranikhet virus. The shrub’s extract is active against Vaccinia virus and Entamoeba histolytica.

 

The brain and nervous system are relatively more susceptible to free radical damage than other tissues because they are rich in lipids and iron, both known to be important in generating reactive oxygen species. Free radical damage of nervous tissue may be involved in normal aging and neurodegenerative diseases, e.g., epilepsy, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases.

 

Antiparkinsonian properties

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by the selective loss of dopamine (DA) neurons of the substantia nigra pars compacta. The events, which trigger and/or mediate the loss of nigral DA neurons, however, remain unclear. Neuroleptic-induced catalepsy has long been used as an animal model for screening drugs for Parkinsonism. Administration of haloperidol or reserpine significantly induced catalepsy in mice. WS significantly inhibited haloperidol or reserpine-induced catalepsy and provide hope for treatment of Parkinson's disease. In another study, 6-Hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) is one of the most widely used rat models for Parkinson's disease. There is ample evidence in the literature that 6-OHDA elicits its toxic manifestations through oxidant stress. Antiparkinsonian effects of WS extract has been reported due to potent antioxidant, antiperoxidative and free radical quenching properties in various diseased conditions. Rats were pretreated with the WS extract orally for 3 weeks. On day 21, 6-OHDA was infused into the right striatum while sham operated group received the vehicle. Three weeks after 6-OHDA injections, rats were tested for neurobehavioral activity and were killed 5 weeks after lesioning for the estimation of lipidperoxidation, reduced glutathione content, activities of glutathione-S-transferase, glutathione reductase, GPX, SOD and CAT, catecholamine content, dopaminergic D2 receptor binding and tyrosine hydroxylase expression. WS extract reversed all the parameters significantly in a dose-dependent manner. Tardive dyskinesia is one of the major side effects of long-term neuroleptic treatment. The pathophysiology of this disabling and commonly irreversible movement disorder is still obscure. Vacuous chewing movements in rats are widely accepted as an animal model of tardive dyskinesia. Oxidative stress and products of lipid peroxidation are implicated in the pathophysiology of tardive dyskinesia. Repeated treatment with reserpine on alternate days for a period of 5 days significantly induced vacuous chewing movements and tongue protrusions in rats. Chronic treatment with WS root extract for a period of 4 weeks to reserpine treated animals significantly and dose dependently reduced the reserpineinduced vacuous chewing movements and tongue protrusions. Oxidative stress might play an important role in the pathophysiology of reserpine-induced abnormal oral movements. In another study, WS glycowithanolides (WSG) administered concomitantly with haloperidol for 28 days, inhibited the induction of the neuroleptic TD. Haloperidol-induced TD was also attenuated by the antioxidant, vitamin E, but remained unaffected by the GABAmimetic antiepileptic agent, sodium valproate, both agents being administered for 28 days like WSG. Antioxidant effect of WSG, rather than its GABA-mimetic action reported for the prevention of haloperidol-induced TD. WS significantly reversed the catalepsy, tardive dyskinesia and 6- Hydroxydopamine elicited toxic manifestations and may offer a new therapeutic approach to the treatment of Parkinson's disease.

 

The WS root extract induced a marked impairment in libido, sexual performance, sexual vigour, and penile erectile dysfunction. These effects were partly reversible on cessation of treatment. This antimasculine effect was not due to changes in testosterone levels but attributed to hyperprolactinemic, GABAergic, serotonergic or sedative activities of the extract. WS roots may be detrimental to male sexual competence .

 

Ashwagandha is reported to have anti-carcinogenic effects. Research on animal cell cultures has shown that the herb decreases the levels of the nuclear factor kappaB, suppresses the intercellular tumor necrosis factor, and potentiates apoptotic signalling in cancerous cell lines. One of the most exciting of the possible uses of Ashwagandha is its capacity to fight cancers by reducing tumor size. To investigate its use in treating various forms of cancer, the antitumor effects of Withania somnifera have been studied by researchers. In one study, the herb wasn evaluated for its anti-tumor effect in urethane-induced lung tumors in adult male mice. Following administration of Ashwagandha over a period of seven months, the histological appearance of the lungs of animals which received the herb was similar to those observed in the lungs of control animals.