ASHWAGANDHA (Withania somnifera(L.

) Dunal) +
Synonym— Physalis somnifera L.
Activities (Ashwagandha) —Abortifacient (f; CRC; KAB; SUW; WBB; ZUL); Adaptogen (1;JAD; KEB;
ZUL); Alterative (f; KAB; SUW); Amebicide (1; CRC; WOI); Anabolic (1; KEB);Analgesic (1; CRC; KAB);
Antiaging (1; KEB; MAB; PM8:125); Antianemic (1; MAB); Antiarthritic (1; CRC; WOI); Antibacterial
(1;CRC; MAB; WOI); Antiedemic (f; ZUL); Antiendotoxin(1; MAB); Antiepileptic (1; MAB); Antifertility
(1; ZUL); Antiherpetic (1; MAB); Antiinflammatory (1; VVG; ZUL; PM8:125); Antimitotic (1; CRC);
Antioxidant (1; PM8:125); Antiproliferative(1; MAB); Antipyretic (1; KEB; ZUL); Antisarcomic (1; KEB);
Antiseptic (1; MAB; VVG; WBB;ZUL); Antispasmodic (1; CRC; KEB; WOI); Antistress (1; APA; ZUL;
PM8:125); Antitumor (1;CRC; MAB; ZUL); Antiulcer (1; MAB; ZUL); Antiviral (1; MAB; WBB; WOI);
Aphrodisiac (1;JAD; KAB; KEB; SUW; ZUL); Bradycardic (1; KEB; WOI); Cerebrotonic (f; PM8:125);
Chemopreventive (1; KEB); CNS-Depressant (1; WOI); Contraceptive (f; CRC); Cytotoxic (1;
MAB);Deobstruent (f; KAB; SUW); Diuretic (1; APA; CRC; KAB; SUW); Ecbolic (f; CRC); Emmenagogue
(f; CRC; KAB); Fungicide (1; CRC; MAB; ZUL); GABA-nergic (1; MAB); Hemopoietic(1; KEB);
Hepatoprotective (1; APA; ZUL); Hypnotic (1; CRC; KAB; SUW; VVG; WBB);Hypotensive (1; MAB;
WOI); Immunodepressant (1; KEB; ZUL; PM8:125); Immunomodulator(f; PM8:125);
Immunostimulant (1; KEB; PM8:125; ZUL); Insecticide (f; WBB); Interferonogenic(f; SHB); Lactagogue
(f; ZUL); Memorigenic (1; ZUL); Narcotic (1; CRC; KAB; SUW); Nervine(1; KEB); Pain (1; CRC; KAB);
Pediculicide (f; CRC; KAB); Phagocytotic (1; MAB); Poison (f; CRC); Proteolytic (1; CRC);
Respirastimulant (1; KEB; WOI); Sedative (1; CRC; MAB; ZUL);Staminagenic (1; MAB); Tonic (1; CRC;
KEB); Tranquilizer (1; CRC; MBB; ZUL); Vermifuge(1; KAB; WOI).
Indications (Ashwagandha) — Adenopathy (f; CRC; KAB); Addiction (1; MAB); Aging (1; KEB;MAB);
Alcoholism (f; CRC); Alzheimer’s (1; MAB); Ameba (1; CRC; WOI); Amenorrhea (f;KAB; ZUL); Anemia
(1; APA; KEB; MAB); Anorexia (f; KAB); Anthrax (f; CRC; KAB; WBB);Arthrosis (1; CRC; KAB; KEB; WOI);
Asthma (1; CRC; KAB; WOI); Backache (f; WOI); Bacteria(1; CRC; MAB; WOI); Boil (f; KAB); Bronchosis
(f; APA; CRC; KAB); Cancer (1; KAB; KEB;MAB); Cancer, lung (1; KEB); Carbuncle (f; KAB; SUW; ZUL);
Childbirth (f; KAB); Chill (f;CRC; KAB; WBB); Cholecystosis (f; WBB); Cold (f; CRC; KAB; WBB);
Conjunctivosis (f; CRC;WBB; ZUL); Convulsion (f; ZUL); Cough (f; CRC); Cramp (1; CRC; JAD; KEB;
WOI); Cystosis(f; CRC); Debility (1; CRC; KAB; KEB; MAB; SUW); Decubitis (f; CRC; KAB); Dermatosis (f;
KAB; WBB; ZUL); Diarrhea (f; CRC; ZUL); Dropsy (f; CRC); Dyspepsia (f; CRC; KAB);Emaciation (f; KAB;
KEB; SUW); Emphysema (f; CRC); Epilepsy (1; MAB); Eruption (f; WBB);Erysipelas (f; CRC; KAB);
Fertility (1; ZUL); Fever (1; CRC; KAB; KEB; SUW; WBB; ZUL);Frigidity (1; JAD; KEB; ZUL); Fungus (1;
CRC; KAB; MAB; ZUL); Furuncle (f; CRC); Gangrene(f; KAB; WBB); Gray Hair (1; MAB); Hemorrhoid (f;
CRC; WBB; ZUL); Hepatosis (f; APA;ZUL); Herpes (1; MAB); Hiccup (f; CRC); High Blood Pressure (1;
CRC; MAB; WOI); HighCholesterol (1; KEB); Immunodepression (1; JAD; KEB; PM8:125; ZUL);
Impotence (1; JAD;KEB; ZUL); Infection (1; CRC; KAB; MAB; ZUL); Infertility (f; KAB); Inflammation (1;
CRC;KAB; MAB; PM8:125; VVG; ZUL); Insomnia (1; CRC; JAD; KAB; MAB; ZUL); Leukocytosis(1; MAB);
Leukoderma (f; KAB); Leukopenia (1; MAB); Lice (f; KAB); Lumbago (f; CRC; KAB;WOI); Marasmus (f;
CRC; KAB; WOI); Milk Deficiency (f; ZUL); Miscarriage (f; WBB); Morphinism (1; MAB); MS (f; AKT);
Mycosis (f; CRC; KAB; MAB; ZUL); Nausea (f; APA; WBB;ZUL); Nervousness (1; CRC; MAB; MBB; ZUL);
Neurasthenia (1; KEB; MAB); Neurosis (f;MBB); Neutropenia (1; MAB); Pain (1; CRC; KAB); Parasite (f;
WBB); Pediculosis (f; KAB);Proctosis (f; CRC; KAB; WBB; ZUL); Psoriasis (f; CRC; KAB); Pulmonosis (f;
WBB); Rheumatism (1; KEB; SUW; WOI; ZUL); Ringworm (1; CRC; KAB; WBB; WOI); Sarcoma (1; KEB);
Scabies (f; CRC; SUW); Senility (f; CRC; SUW; PM8:125); Smallpox (f; CRC; WBB); Sore (f;APA; KAB;
SUW; WBB; ZUL); Stress (1; KEB; MBB; ZUL; PM8:125); Swelling (1; APA; CRC;KAB; SUW; ZUL);
Syphilis (1; CRC; KAB; WOI; WBB); Tuberculosis (f; APA; CRC; KAB;SUW); Tumor (1; APA; CRC; FNF;
MAB; ZUL); Typhoid (f; CRC; WBB); Ulcer (1; KEB; MAB;ZUL); Uterosis (f; CRC); VD (f; KAB); Virus (1;
MAB; WBB; WOI); Water Retention (1; APA;CRC; KAB; SUW); Worm (1; KAB; WOI); Wound (f; CRC;
VVG); Yeast (1; CRC).
Dosages (Ashwagandha) —150–300 mg StX (APA); 2–3 g powdered root, 3 ×/day (APA); capsule StX
at 2–5 mg with anolides (APA); 3–6 g dry root/day (MAB); 6–12 ml/day fluid extract (1:2)(KEB); 1
(300 mg) tablet 2 ×/day (NH).
Contraindications, Interactions, and Side Effects (Ashwagandha) —Class 2b, 2d; may potentiate
barbiturates (AHP). Berries may cause severe gastrointestinal pain, should not be eaten (TMA,1996).
While many herbalists praise this, even attributing ginseng like magic to it, I think of it as a poorly
known nightshade relative with a few toxic medicinal compounds. Strange that it did not make it
into the Herbal PDR or Commission E, negatively or positively (JAD; KOM).
Extracts (Ashwagandha) — The complex of alkaloids was only twice as active at bradycardic,
hypotensive, and respirastimulant activities as the total root extract indicating that there are other
active components with synergistic or additive activities (MAB). LDlo (Extracts) >1100 mg/kg ip
mouse (MAB); LD50 (Extracts) = 1260 mg/kg ipr mouse (MAB); LD100 (Extracts) = >1100 mg/kg ipr
mouse (MAB) ( = ) Pretreatment with root extract at 100 mg/kg (orl mouse) was comparable to
diazepam (1 mg/kg) in experimental epilepsy (MAB).