Publications
| Title | Abstract | Year Filter | PMID(sorted descending) Filter |
|---|
| the relationship between chondroprotective and antiinflammatory effects of withania somnifera root and glucosamine sulphate on human osteoarthritic cartilage in vitro. | using a validated explant model of in vitro cartilage damage, the effects of aqueous extracts of withania somnifera (ashwagandha) root and glucosamine sulphate (glcs) were tested on the levels of nitric oxide (no) and glycosaminoglycans (gags) secreted by knee cartilage from chronic osteoarthritis (oa) patients. w. somnifera extracts significantly decreased no release by explants from one subset of patients (antiinflammatory response) and significantly increased levels of no and gags released by ... | 2008 | 18697233 |
| [overcoming several neurodegenerative diseases by traditional medicines: the development of therapeutic medicines and unraveling pathophysiological mechanisms]. | ashwagandha (root of withania somnifera) has been used for many purposes, it is mainly considered a tonic in traditional ayurvedic medicine. this review focuses on the effects of compounds isolated from ashwagandha on dementia models and on the spinal cord injury model. our study demonstrated that the active constituents, withanolide a, withanoside iv, and withanoside vi, restored presynapses and postsynapses, in addition to both axons and dendrites in cortical neurons after abeta(25-35)-induced ... | 2008 | 18670181 |
| transgenic mimicry of pathogen attack stimulates growth and secondary metabolite accumulation. | plant secondary metabolites, including pharmaceuticals, flavorings and aromas, are often produced in response to stress. we used chemical inducers of the pathogen defense response (jasmonic acid, salicylate, killed fungi, oligosaccharides and the fungal elicitor protein, cryptogein) to increase metabolite and biomass production in transformed root cultures of the medicinal plant, withania somnifera, and the weed, convolvulus sepium. in an effort to genetically mimic the observed effects of crypt ... | 2009 | 18668338 |
| withania somnifera provides cardioprotection and attenuates ischemia-reperfusion induced apoptosis. | the present study was undertaken to evaluate the cardioprotective mechanisms of withania somnifera (ws), in the setting of ischemia and reperfusion (ir) injury. | 2008 | 18620784 |
| protective effect of withania somnifera dunal root extract against protracted social isolation induced behavior in rats. | this study investigated the effect of withania somnifera dunal (ws) root extract and diazepam in social isolation induced behavior such as anxiety and depression in rats. rats were isolated for 6 weeks and the assessment of changed behavior were done on elevated plus maze (epm) and forced swim test (fst). isolation reared rats spent less time into the open arms on epm and significantly increased immobility time in fst compared to group housed rats. ws (100, 200 or 500 mg/kg, oral) and diazepam ( ... | 2007 | 18476388 |
| dual elicitation for improved production of withaferin a by cell suspension cultures of withania somnifera. | high yielding transformed callus culture of w. somnifera was established by infecting hypocotyls with agrobacterium tumefaciens mtcc-2250. maximum withaferin a content of 0.0875 mg/g dry cell weight and transformation efficiency of 80% were obtained. confirmation of transformation was done on the basis of the presence of the ags gene by using polymerase chain reaction. various abiotic elicitors (arachidonic acid, methyl jasmonate, calcium chloride, and copper sulfate) and biotic elicitors (cell ... | 2008 | 18449479 |
| indian herbs and herbal drugs used for the treatment of diabetes. | traditional medicines derived from medicinal plants are used by about 60% of the world's population. this review focuses on indian herbal drugs and plants used in the treatment of diabetes, especially in india. diabetes is an important human ailment afflicting many from various walks of life in different countries. in india it is proving to be a major health problem, especially in the urban areas. though there are various approaches to reduce the ill effects of diabetes and its secondary complic ... | 2007 | 18398493 |
| effect of withania somnifera on insulin sensitivity in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus rats. | we investigated the effect of an aqueous extract of withania somnifera (ws) on insulin sensitivity in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (niddm) rats. niddm was induced by single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (100 mg/kg) to 2 days old rat pups. ws (200 and 400 mg/kg) was administered orally once a day for 5 weeks after the animals were confirmed diabetic (i.e. 75 days after streptozotocin injection). a group of citrate control rats (group i) were also maintained that has recei ... | 2008 | 18346053 |
| effect of nr-anx-c (a polyherbal formulation) on haloperidol induced catalepsy in albino mice. | use of typical antipsychotics like haloperidol in treatment of schizophrenia is associated with a high incidence of extrapyramidal side effects. in rodents, administration of haloperidol leads to the development of a behavioural state called catalepsy, in which the animal is not able to correct an externally imposed posture. in the present study we evaluated the anticataleptic efficacy of nr-anx-c, a polyherbal formulation containing bioactives of withania somnifera, ocimum sanctum, camellia sin ... | 2007 | 18160755 |
| withania somnifera: an indian ginseng. | withania somnifera, popularly known as ashwagandha is widely considered as the indian ginseng. in ayurveda, it is classified as a rasayana (rejuvenation) and expected to promote physical and mental health, rejuvenate the body in debilitated conditions and increase longevity. having wide range of activity, it is used to treat almost all disorders that affect the human health. the present review discusses the pharmacological basis of the use of w. somnifera in various central nervous system (cns) ... | 2008 | 17959291 |
| effect of withania somnifera root extract on haloperidol-induced catalepsy in albino mice. | the objective of the study was to evaluate the anticataleptic effect of withania somnifera (ws) extract, on haloperidol-induced catalepsy in albino mice. catalepsy was induced with haloperidol (1 mg/kg) i.p. in five groups of male albino mice (n = 6). three groups received withania somnifera extract (1.7, 4.25, 8.5 mg/kg) respectively, one group received scopolamine (1 mg/kg) and one group received the vehicle (1% gum acacia) orally, 30 min prior to haloperidol administration. catalepsy was meas ... | 2008 | 17886228 |
| reactive oxygen species generation and mitochondrial dysfunction in the apoptotic cell death of human myeloid leukemia hl-60 cells by a dietary compound withaferin a with concomitant protection by n-acetyl cysteine. | induction of apoptosis in cancer cells has become the major focus of anti-cancer therapeutics development. withaferina, a major chemical constituent of withania somnifera, reportedly shows cytotoxicity in a variety of tumor cell lines while its molecular mechanisms of action are not fully understood. we observed that withaferina primarily induces oxidative stress in human leukemia hl-60 cells and in several other cancer cell lines. the withanolide induced early ros generation and mitochondrial m ... | 2007 | 17874299 |
| screening of indigenous palestinian medicinal plants for potential anti-inflammatory and cytotoxic activity. | organic extracts of 24 selected plant species, used by palestinian traditional healers to treat different illnesses and diseases, were tested for their anti-inflammatory and anti-tumoral activities. the plant selection was based on existing ethnobotanic information and interviews with local healers. the extracts of the plants under investigation were tested for their potential anti-tumor (cytotoxic) effect on the murine fibrosarcoma l929sa cells, and on the human breast cancer cells mda-mb231 an ... | 2007 | 17716845 |
| genetic and phytochemical difference between some indian and italian plants of withania somnifera (l.) dunal. | the geographical distribution of withania somnifera (l.) dunal is quite wide. however, in italy, this species is very rare and grows spontaneously only in sicily and in sardinia. the pcr-rapd technique has been utilized in this work to determine the genetic relationship among sicilian, sardinian and indian samples and the hplc analysis of whitaferin a was used as a marker to evaluate the phytochemical differences. the genetic difference between indian and sicilian plants of w. somnifera turned o ... | 2007 | 17680504 |
| protective effect of withania somnifera dunal on the behavioral and biochemical alterations in sleep-disturbed mice (grid over water suspended method). | sleep disruption involves extensive changes in physiological function, including eeg, motor, metabolic, autonomic processes physiological homeostasis and psychological balance that are necessary for physical health. benzodiazepines are the most widely used drugs for the sleep related problems in spite of their limitations and side effects. objective of the study was to investigate the protective effect of w. somnifera on the behavioral and biochemical alterations in sleep disturbed mice. pretrea ... | 2007 | 17585686 |
| withania somnifera inhibits nf-kappab and ap-1 transcription factors in human peripheral blood and synovial fluid mononuclear cells. | withania somnifera (ws) is an important herb with known antiinflammatory activity. its molecular mechanism of action has not been investigated. the effect of a ws crude ethanol extract was studied on peripheral blood mononuclear cells of normal individuals and rheumatoid arthritis (ra) patients and synovial fluid mononuclear cells of ra patients in vitro. the ws extract significantly suppressed lipopolysaccharide (lps) induced production of proinflammatory cytokines tnf-alpha, il-1beta and il-12 ... | 2007 | 17562568 |
| the protective effect of a purified extract of withania somnifera against doxorubicin-induced cardiac toxicity in rats. | the therapeutic value of doxorubicin as an effective antineoplastic agent is limited by its cardiotoxic side-effects. the administration of doxorubicin (10 mg/kg) to male wistar rats induced necrosis and apoptosis in heart tissues. it also caused oxidative stress damage as evidenced by the elevation of malondialdehyde and protein carbonyl levels and catalase activity, accompanied by the concurrent depletion of total antioxidant capacity and of superoxide dismutase level in cardiac tissues. the d ... | 2008 | 17520333 |
| characterization and control of endophytic bacterial contaminants in in vitro cultures of piper spp., taxus baccata subsp. wallichiana, and withania somnifera. | bacterial contamination is a serious problem that causes severe loss of in vitro grown cultures of a number of plants. this problem becomes even more acute if the bacterial contamination is of endophytic origin. in such cases, identification and characterization of the contaminants is essential for achieving specific control of the contaminants through selective use of antibiotic agents, especially if the routinely used contamination control methods practiced elsewhere in tissue culture studies ... | 2007 | 17496951 |
| anti-malarial activity of withania somnifera l. dunal extracts in mice. | this study aims at investigating the in vivo antiplasmodial activity of a traditionally used medicinal plant, withania somnifera, l. dunal, (solanaceae). | 2006 | 17447395 |
| chondroprotective potential of root extracts of withania somnifera in osteoarthritis. | this is the first report describing two novel chondroprotective activities of aqueous extracts of withania somnifera root powder.first,these extracts had a statistically significant,short-term chondroprotective effect on damaged human osteoarthritic cartilage matrix in 50% of the patients tested. second,these extracts caused a significant and reproducible inhibition of the gelatinase activity of collagenase type 2 enzyme in vitro. | 2007 | 17435322 |
| total phenol, antioxidant and free radical scavenging activities of some medicinal plants. | phenols, a major group of antioxidant phytochemicals, have profound importance due to their biological and free radical scavenging activities. to identify their potential sources, extracts of some plants were studied for their total phenolic content (tpc), antioxidant (aoa) and free radical scavenging activities (frsa) by different methods at multiple concentrations followed by specific phenolic composition. the amount of tpc varied from 2.8 mg/g (withania somnifera, roots) to 107.8 mg/g (cassia ... | 2007 | 17415953 |
| the neuroprotective effect of withania somnifera root extract in mptp-intoxicated mice: an analysis of behavioral and biochemical variables. | we studied the influence of withania somnifera (ws) root extract (100 mg/kg body weight) on parkinsonism induced by 1-methyl 4-phenyl 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (mptp; i.p, 20 mg/kg body weight for 4 days), via the analysis of behavioral features and the oxidant-antioxidant imbalance in the midbrain of mice. a significant alteration in behavior, increased levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substance (tbars), and increased activities of superoxide dismutase (sod) and catalase (cat) were notic ... | 2007 | 17415533 |
| effect of withania somnifera on forced swimming test induced immobility in mice and its interaction with various drugs. | the objective of the present study was to evaluate the antidepressant action of withania somnifera (ws) as well as its interaction with the conventional antidepressant drugs and to delineate the possible mechanism of its antidepressant action using forced swimming model in mice. effect of different doses of ws, fluoxetine and imipramine were studied on forced swimming test induced mean immobility time (mit). moreover effect of ws 100 mg/kg, i.p. was observed at different time intervals. effect p ... | 2006 | 17402272 |
| protective effect of withania somnifera root powder in relation to lipid peroxidation, antioxidant status, glycoproteins and bone collagen on adjuvant-induced arthritis in rats. | the present investigation was carried out to evaluate the protective effect of withania somnifera linn. dunal (family-solanaceae), commonly known as ashwagandha, on adjuvant-induced arthritic rats. results were compared with those for indomethacin, a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug. arthritis was induced by intradermal injection of complete freund's adjuvant (0.1 ml) into the right hind paw of wistar albino rats. withania somnifera root powder (1000 mg/kg/day) and indomethacin (3 mg/kg/day) ... | 2007 | 17391288 |
| a standardized root extract of withania somnifera and its major constituent withanolide-a elicit humoral and cell-mediated immune responses by up regulation of th1-dominant polarization in balb/c mice. | the effects of graded doses of a chemically standardized aqueous alcoholic (1:1) root extract (agb) of withania somnifera on the immune system of srbc immunized balb/c mice were investigated. mice were administrated agb orally for 15 days. agb stimulated cell mediated immunity, igm and igg titers reaching peak value with 30 mg/kg b.wt. flow cytometric analysis of lymphocyte surface markers of t cells (cd3(+), cd4(+) and cd8(+)) and b cells (cd19(+)) indicated prominent enhancement in proliferati ... | 2007 | 17336338 |
| protective effect of withania somnifera (solanaceae) on collagen glycation and cross-linking. | modification of collagen such as non-enzymatic glycation and cross-linking plays an important role in diabetic complications and age-related diseases. we evaluate the effect of withania somnifera on glucose-mediated collagen glycation and cross-linking in vitro. extent of glycation, viscosity, collagen-linked fluorescence and pepsin solubility were assessed in different experimental procedures to investigate the effect of w. somnifera. tail tendons obtained from rats (rattus norvegicus) weighing ... | 2007 | 17329138 |
| molecular cloning and characterization of one member of 3beta-hydroxy sterol glucosyltransferase gene family in withania somnifera. | sterol glycosides are constituents of plant cell membranes. glucosylations of the sterols are catalyzed by sterol glucosyltransferases (sgts), which are members of family 1 glycosyltransferases. we have identified the family of sgt genes expressed in the leaves of a medicinal plant withania somnifera. one member (sgtl1) of this gene family was cloned. the full-length cdna sequence of sgtl1 represents 2532 bp, comprising untranslated regions (utrs) of 337 and 89 bp at the 5' and 3' ends, respecti ... | 2007 | 17324374 |
| purification and physico-kinetic characterization of 3beta-hydroxy specific sterol glucosyltransferase from withania somnifera (l) and its stress response. | sterol glycosyltransferases catalyze the synthesis of diverse glycosteroids in plants, leading to a change in their participation in cellular metabolism. withania somnifera is a medically important plant, known for a variety of pharmacologically important withanolides and their glycosides. in this study, a cytosolic sterol glucosyltransferase was purified 3406 fold to near homogeneity from w. somnifera leaves and studied for its biochemical and kinetic properties. the purified enzyme was active ... | 2007 | 17293176 |
| withanolide production by root cultures of withania somnifera transformed with agrobacterium rhizogenes. | transformed root cultures of withania somnifera dunal (solanaceae) were obtained by infecting shoots cultured in vitro with agrobacterium rhizogenes lba 9402. they grew axenically in the absence of exogenous plant growth regulators in murashige and skoog's medium containing 3% (w/v) sucrose. the root cultures synthesized several withanolides of which withanolide d was isolated and identified. transformed root (clone hr (1)) showed a growth index of 20.07 and a withanolide d yield of 0.30 mg g(-1 ... | 1996 | 17252504 |
| withanolide composition and in vitro culture of italian withania somnifera. | from italian plants of withania somnifera six withanolides were isolated, whose structures allowed us to assign the italian race of w. somnifera to the israel chemotype iii. in vitro cultures of italian w. somnifera under different conditions were obtained, as well as infection by agrobacterium rhizogenes. hplc analysis of in vitro derived tissues showed low contents of withanolides. | 1996 | 17252448 |
| in vivo antimalarial activity of aqueous extracts from kenyan medicinal plants and their chloroquine (cq) potentiation effects against a blood-induced cq-resistant rodent parasite in mice. | hot water extracts from eight medicinal plants representing five families, used for malaria treatment in kenya were screened for their in vivo antimalarial activity in mice against a chloroquine (cq) resistant plasmodium berghei nk65, either alone or in combination with cq. extracts of three plants, toddalia asiatica (root bark), rhamnus prinoides (leaves and root bark) and vernonia lasiopus (root bark) showed high chemosuppression in the range 51%-75%. maytenus acuminata, m. heterophylla, m. se ... | 2007 | 17221829 |
| ashwagandhanolide, a bioactive dimeric thiowithanolide isolated from the roots of withania somnifera. | a new dimeric withanolide, ashwagandhanolide (1), was isolated from the roots of an ayurvedic medicinal herb, withania somnifera. a detailed spectroscopic evaluation revealed its identity as a dimer with an unusual thioether linkage. compound 1 displayed growth inhibition against human gastric (ags), breast (mcf-7), central nervous system (sf-268), colon (hct-116), and lung (nci h460) cancer cell lines, with ic50 values in the range 0.43-1.48 microg/ml. in addition, it inhibited lipid peroxidati ... | 2006 | 17190461 |
| par-4-dependent apoptosis by the dietary compound withaferin a in prostate cancer cells. | deletion or mutation of the androgen receptor (ar) renders prostate tumors refractory to apoptosis by androgen ablation, the mainstay of prostate cancer therapy. to identify novel therapeutics that can induce apoptosis regardless of the ar status of prostate cancer cells, we screened dietary herbal compounds using a reporter assay for the prostate apoptosis response-4 (par-4) gene, which induces p53- and pten-independent and cancer-selective apoptosis. one of the compounds, withaferin a (wa), a ... | 2007 | 17185378 |
| ancient medicine, modern use: withania somnifera and its potential role in integrative oncology. | withania somnifera dunal, commonly known as ashwagandha, has been used for centuries in ayurvedic medicine to increase longevity and vitality. western research supports its polypharmaceutical use, confirming antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating, and antistress properties in the whole plant extract and several separate constituents. this article reviews the literature pertaining to withania somnifera and its botanical constituents as antitumor agents and in conjunction with radiation ... | 2006 | 17176166 |
| withaferin a strongly elicits ikappab kinase beta hyperphosphorylation concomitant with potent inhibition of its kinase activity. | the transcription factor nfkappab plays a critical role in normal and pathophysiological immune responses. therefore, nfkappab and the signaling pathways that regulate its activation have become a major focus of drug development programs. withania somnifera (ws) is a medicinal plant that is widely used in palestine for the treatment of various inflammatory disorders. in this study we show that the leave extract of ws, as well as its major constituent withaferin a (wa), potently inhibits nfkappab ... | 2007 | 17150968 |
| antimalarial activity of methanolic extracts from plants used in kenyan ethnomedicine and their interactions with chloroquine (cq) against a cq-tolerant rodent parasite, in mice. | methanolic extracts from 15 medicinal plants representing 11 families, used traditionally for malaria treatment in kenya were screened for their in vivo antimalarial activity in mice against a chloroquine (cq)-tolerant plasmodium berghei nk65, either alone or in combination with cq. the plant parts used ranged from leaves (l), stem bark (sb), root bark (rb), seeds (s) and whole plant (w). when used alone, extracts from seven plants, clerodendrum myricoides (rb), ficus sur (l/sb/rb), maytenus acu ... | 2007 | 17145149 |
| changes in morphological phenotypes and withanolide composition of ri-transformed roots of withania somnifera. | developmental variability was introduced into withania somnifera using genetic transformation by agrobacterium rhizogenes, with the aim of changing withasteroid production. inoculation of w. somnifera with a. rhizogenes strains lba 9402 and a4 produced typical transformed root lines, transformed callus lines, and rooty callus lines with simultaneous root dedifferentiation and redifferentiation. these morphologically distinct transformed lines varied in t-dna content, growth rates, and withastero ... | 2007 | 17103214 |
| suppressive effect of withania somnifera root powder on experimental gouty arthritis: an in vivo and in vitro study. | the effect of withania somnifera l. dunal root powder on paw volume and serum lysosomal enzyme activities was investigated in monosodium urate crystal-induced rats. the levels of beta-glucuronidase and lactate dehydrogenase were also measured in monosodium urate crystal incubated polymorphonuclear leucocytes (pmnl). a significant increase in the level of paw volume and serum lysosomal enzymes was observed in monosodium urate crystal-induced rats. the increased beta-glucuronidase and lactate dehy ... | 2006 | 17084827 |
| a 32-week randomized, placebo-controlled clinical evaluation of ra-11, an ayurvedic drug, on osteoarthritis of the knees. | the ancient indian (asian) ayurvedic medicinal system uses herbomineral drugs to treat arthritis. despite centuries of use, very few have been tested by drug trials. ra-11 (artrex, mendar), a standardized multiplant ayurvedic drug (withania somnifera, boswellia serrata, zingiber officinale, and curcuma longa) is currently used to treat arthritis. | 2004 | 17043520 |
| inhibition of aflatoxin b production of aspergillus flavus, isolated from soybean seeds by certain natural plant products. | the inhibitory effect of cowdung fumes, captan, leaf powder of withania somnifera, hyptis suaveolens, eucalyptus citriodora, peel powder of citrus sinensis, citrus medica and punica granatum, neem cake and pongamia cake and spore suspension of trichoderma harzianum and aspergillus niger on aflatoxin b(1) production by toxigenic strain of aspergillus flavus isolated from soybean seeds was investigated. | 2006 | 17032218 |
| chemopreventative strategies targeting the mgmt repair protein: augmented expression in human lymphocytes and tumor cells by ethanolic and aqueous extracts of several indian medicinal plants. | o6-alkylguanines are potent mutagenic, pro-carcinogenic and cytotoxic lesions induced by exogenous and endogenous alkylating agents. a facilitated elimination of these lesions by increasing the activity of o6-methylguanine-dna methyltransferase (mgmt) is likely to be a beneficial chemoprevention strategy, which, however, has not been examined. because, a marginal enhancement of this protein may be adequate for genomic protection, we studied alterations in mgmt activity and expression in human pe ... | 2006 | 17016661 |
| enhanced cardiovascular function and energy level by a novel chromium (iii)-supplement. | the impetus for the novel energy formula (ef) which combines the niacin-bound chromium (iii) (0.45%) (nbc), standardized extract of withania somnifera extracts (10.71%), caffeine (22.76%), d-ribose (10.71%) and selected amino acids such as phenylalanine, taurine and glutamine (55.37%) was based on the knowledge of the cardioprotective potentials of the withania somnifera extract, caffeine and d-ribose as well as their abilities to increase energy levels and the abilities of amino acids to increa ... | 2006 | 17012764 |
| antimicrobial properties of a non-toxic glycoprotein (wsg) from withania somnifera (ashwagandha). | a monomeric glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 28 kda in sds-page was isolated from the withania somnifera root tubers. the protein designated wsg (withania somnifera glycoprotein) demonstrated potent antimicrobial activity against the phytopathogenic fungi and bacteria tested. antifungal effect has been demonstrated in that wsg exerts a fungistastic effect by inhibiting spore germination and hyphal growth in the tested fungi. wsg showed potent antifungal activity against aspergillus flavus, ... | 2006 | 17009292 |
| stabilization of membrane bound enzyme profiles and lipid peroxidation by withania somnifera along with paclitaxel on benzo(a)pyrene induced experimental lung cancer. | the present study was aimed to evaluate the therapeutic effects of withania somnifera along with paclitaxel on lung tumor induced by benzo(a)pyrene in male swiss albino mice. the levels of atpase enzymes and lipid peroxidation were evaluated in lung cancer bearing mice, in erythrocyte membrane and tissues. the extent of peroxidation was estimated by measuring the thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances. simultaneously the activities of different atpases (na(+)/k(+)-atpases, mg(2+)-atpases and ca ... | 2006 | 17003952 |
| screening of selected indian medicinal plants for acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity. | seventy-six plant extracts including methanolic and successive water extracts from 37 indian medicinal plants were investigated for acetylcholinesterase (ache) inhibitory activity (in vitro). results indicated that methanolic extracts to be more active than water extracts. the potent ache inhibiting methanolic plant extracts included withania somnifera (root), semecarpus anacardium (stem bark), embelia ribes (root), tinospora cordifolia (stem), ficus religiosa (stem bark) and nardostachys jatama ... | 2007 | 16950584 |
| small molecule anti-angiogenic probes of the ubiquitin proteasome pathway: potential application to choroidal neovascularization. | to characterize the angiogenic and inflammatory responses of human choroidal endothelial cells (hcecs) to stimulators and inhibitors of the ubiquitin proteasome pathway (upp). | 2006 | 16936134 |
| prophylactic administration of withania somnifera extract increases host resistance in listeria monocytogenes infected mice. | in this study, we demonstrated that withania somnifera l. extract (wse) protects mice from a lethal dose of listeria monocytogenes when administered prophylactically at 100, 250 and 500 mg/kg for 10 days, with survival rates up to 30%. these doses also prevented the myelosuppression and the splenomegaly caused by a sublethal infection with l. monocytogenes, due to increased numbers of granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (cfu-gm) in the bone marrow. investigation of the production of colony-stimul ... | 2006 | 16919825 |
| augmentation and proliferation of t lymphocytes and th-1 cytokines by withania somnifera in stressed mice. | stress has been associated with reports of both greater severity and prolongation of diseases in patients with the infectious origin as well as other immune-mediated diseases. withania somnifera, an indian medicinal plant used widely in the treatment of many clinical conditions in india, was investigated for its anti-stress properties using balb/c mice subjected to chronic stress. the study aimed to investigate chronic stress-induced alterations on th1 lymphocyte subset distribution and correspo ... | 2006 | 16846833 |
| chemotherapeutic efficacy of paclitaxel in combination with withania somnifera on benzo(a)pyrene-induced experimental lung cancer. | lung cancer is one of the leading causes of cancer death in the world and is notoriously difficult to treat effectively. in the present study, male swiss albino mice were divided into five groups of six animals each: group i animals received corn oil orally and served as a control; group ii cancer-induced animals received benzo(a)pyrene (50 mg/kg bodyweight dissolved in corn oil, orally) twice weekly for four successive weeks; group iii cancer-bearing animals (after 12 weeks of induction) were t ... | 2006 | 16827807 |
| withanolides potentiate apoptosis, inhibit invasion, and abolish osteoclastogenesis through suppression of nuclear factor-kappab (nf-kappab) activation and nf-kappab-regulated gene expression. | the plant withania somnifera dunal (ashwagandha), also known as indian ginseng, is widely used in the ayurvedic system of medicine to treat tumors, inflammation, arthritis, asthma, and hypertension. chemical investigation of the roots and leaves of this plant has yielded bioactive withanolides. earlier studies showed that withanolides inhibit cyclooxygenase enzymes, lipid peroxidation, and proliferation of tumor cells. because several genes that regulate cellular proliferation, carcinogenesis, m ... | 2006 | 16818501 |
| modulation of cytokine expression by traditional medicines: a review of herbal immunomodulators. | modulation of cytokine secretion may offer novel approaches in the treatment of a variety of diseases. one strategy in the modulation of cytokine expression may be through the use of herbal medicines. a class of herbal medicines, known as immunomodulators, alters the activity of immune function through the dynamic regulation of informational molecules such as cytokines. this may offer an explanation of the effects of herbs on the immune system and other tissues. for this informal review, the aut ... | 2006 | 16813462 |
| an inventory of the ethnobotanicals used as anthelmintics in the southern punjab (pakistan). | a survey was conducted in southern punjab, pakistan, in order to document existing ethnobotanical knowledge by the herdsmen/key respondents about anthelmintics in ruminants. a 3-satge process was used to document the plants being used to treat and/or control helminthes. this paper describes 29 plants to treat helminthosis in ruminants. the main plants used were lamium amplexicaule l., mallotus philippinensis muell., withania somnifera (l.) dunal., azadirachta indica a. juss., and citrullus coloc ... | 2006 | 16730420 |
| immunomodulatory role of withania somnifera root powder on experimental induced inflammation: an in vivo and in vitro study. | the aqueous suspension of withania somnifera root powder was investigated for their in vivo and in vitro immunomodulatory properties. w. somnifera showed potent inhibitory activity towards the complement system, mitogen induced lymphocyte proliferation and delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction. administration of w. somnifera root powder did not have a significant effect on humoral immune response in rats. our results report immunosuppressive effect of w. somnifera root powder, thus it could be ... | 2006 | 16713367 |
| hypocholesteremic and antioxidant effects of withania somnifera (dunal) in hypercholesteremic rats. | hypocholesteremic and antioxidant effects of withania somnifera (ws) dunal (solanaceae) were investigated in hypercholesteremic male albino rats. when the root powder of ws was added to the diet at 0.75 and 1.5 gm/rat/day, hypercholesteremic animals registered significant decreases in total lipids (-40.54%; -50.69%), cholesterol (-41.58%; -53.01%) and triglycerides (-31.25%; - 44.85%) in plasma. on the other hand, significant increases in plasma hdl-cholesterol levels (+15.10%; +17.71%), hmg-coa ... | 2007 | 16713218 |
| selective th1 up-regulating activity of withania somnifera aqueous extract in an experimental system using flow cytometry. | withania somnifera (ashwagandha) is reported to be immunoprotective and immunoadjuvant. we studied its roots aqueous extract on t helper (th) immunity using flow cytometry. this extract was standardized with six withanolides as marker compounds using hplc. once daily dose ranging from 25 to 400 mg/kg/p.o. was used to study effect on th1: ifn-gamma, il-2 and th2: il-4 cytokine modulation. we also studied effect on cd4 and cd8 in normal and immunesuppressed mice. the results indicate that extract ... | 2006 | 16603328 |
| withania somnifera improves bone calcification in calcium-deficient ovariectomized rats. | osteoporosis, characterized by reduction in bone density, is a significant source of mortality among the elderly, particularly in oestrogen-deficient women. we studied the effect of withania somnifera (ws) root extract (ethanolic), which contains oestrogen-like withanolides for anti-osteoporotic activity. female sprague-dawley rats were either sham operated (n = 12) or ovariectomized (n = 12) and treated with ws/vehicle (65 mg kg(-1)), orally for 16 weeks (n = 12). all rats were allowed free acc ... | 2006 | 16597369 |
| withanoside iv and its active metabolite, sominone, attenuate abeta(25-35)-induced neurodegeneration. | at the present, medication of dementia is limited to symptomatic treatments such as the use of cholinesterase inhibitors. to cure dementia completely, that is regaining neuronal function, reconstruction of neuronal networks is necessary. therefore, we have been exploring antidementia drugs based on reconstructing neuronal networks in the damaged brain and found that withanoside iv (a constituent of ashwagandha; the root of withania somnifera) induced neurite outgrowth in cultured rat cortical ne ... | 2006 | 16553605 |
| anti-plasmodial activity and toxicity of extracts of plants used in traditional malaria therapy in meru and kilifi districts of kenya. | the methanol and aqueous extracts of 10 plant species (acacia nilotica, azadirachta indica, carissa edulis, fagaropsis angolensis, harrissonia abyssinica, myrica salicifolia, neoboutonia macrocalyx, strychnos heningsii, withania somnifera and zanthoxylum usambarensis) used to treat malaria in meru and kilifi districts, kenya, were tested for brine shrimp lethality and in vitro anti-plasmodial activity against chloroquine-sensitive and chloroquine-resistant strains of plasmodium falciparum (nf54 ... | 2006 | 16530996 |
| purification of a post-synaptic neurotoxic phospholipase a2 from naja naja venom and its inhibition by a glycoprotein from withania somnifera. | a post-synaptic neurotoxic phospholipase a(2) (pla(2)) has been purified from indian cobra naja naja venom. it was associated with a peptide in the venom. the association was disrupted using 8 m urea. it is denoted to be a basic protein by its behavior on both ion exchange chromatography and electrophoresis. it is toxic to mice, ld(50) 1.9 mg/kg body weight (ip). it is proved to be post-synaptic pla(2) by chymographic experiment using frog nerve-muscle preparation. a glycoprotein, (wsg) was isol ... | 2006 | 16494989 |
| effect of withania somnifera root extract on reserpine-induced orofacial dyskinesia and cognitive dysfunction. | 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 (1.0 mg/kg) on alternate days for a period of 5 days (days 1, 3 and 5 ... | 2006 | 16444668 |
| new bioactive compounds of plant origin. | crude extracts of withania somnifera (ws) and polygonum equisetiforme (pe) as well as the pure compounds isolated therefrom were screened for antibacterial and antifungal activity against 20 bacterial and 17 fungal cultures. the crude extract of pe and ws inhibited the growth of t. mentagrophyte, m. canis and a. boydii at an mic of 450-500 microg/ml whereas the pure compounds inhibited the growth at mic of 300-350 micro/ml. species of corynebacterium, bacillus, streptococcus and staphylococcus w ... | 1991 | 16414690 |
| evaluation of the effect of withania somnifera root extracts on cell cycle and angiogenesis. | in the indian system of medicine, the medicinal plant, withania somnifera dunal (solanaceae) finds application for numerous ailments including cancer. this study explores the mechanism(s) underlying this property. the hydroalcoholic extract of the roots (ws) was partitioned between chloroform (ws-chloroform) and water (ws-water). further, ws-chloroform was fractionated (a1-a12) by reverse-phase column chromatography and their withanolide content was quantified by high-performance liquid chromato ... | 2006 | 16412596 |
| antiulcer and antioxidant activity of asparagus racemosus willd and withania somnifera dunal in rats. | comparative study of the antiulcer and antisecretory activity of asparagus racemosus willd (shatawari) and withania somnifera dunal (ashwagandha) root extract with a standard drug, ranitidine, in various models of gastric ulcer in rats is presented. ulcer was induced by the indomethacin (nsaid) and swim (restraint) stress treatment. results demonstrated that a. racemosus as well as w. somnifera methanolic extract (100 mg/kg bw/day p.o.) given orally for 15 days significantly reduced the ulcer in ... | 2005 | 16387694 |
| enhancement of antitumor effect of paclitaxel in combination with immunomodulatory withania somnifera on benzo(a)pyrene induced experimental lung cancer. | the current experimental work deals with the immunomodulatory studies on the extract of withania somnifera (l.) dunal root powder against benzo(a)pyrene induced lung cancer in male swiss albino mice. in our previous study, we reported the antioxidant and anticarcinogenic effect of w. somnifera (l.) dunal along with paclitaxel. immune dysfunction has been found to be associated with cancer and chemotherapy. benzo(a)pyrene induced cancer animals were treated with 400mg/kg bodyweight of w. somnifer ... | 2006 | 16375880 |
| modulation of tca cycle enzymes and electron transport chain systems in experimental lung cancer. | the modulatory effect of withania somnifera along with paclitaxel on tricarboxylic acid (tca) cycle key enzymes and electron transport chain complexes were investigated against lung cancer induced by benzo(a)pyrene in swiss albino mice. decreased activities of tca cycle key enzymes such as isocitrate dehydrogenase (icdh), succinate dehydrogenase (sdh), malate dehydrogenase (mdh) and alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (alpha-kgdh) in lung cancer bearing animals were observed. upon w. somnifera alo ... | 2006 | 16143346 |
| withanolides, a new class of natural cholinesterase inhibitors with calcium antagonistic properties. | the withanolides 1-3 and 4-5 isolated from ajuga bracteosa and withania somnifera, respectively, inhibited acetylcholinesterase (ache, ec 3.1.1.7) and butyrylcholinesterase (bche, ec 3.1.1.8) enzymes in a concentration-dependent fashion with ic50 values ranging between 20.5 and 49,2 microm and 29.0 and 85.2 microm for ache and bche, respectively. lineweaver-burk as well as dixon plots and their secondary replots indicated that compounds 1, 3, and 5 are the linear mixed-type inhibitors of ache, w ... | 2005 | 16108094 |
| effect of dianex, a herbal formulation on experimentally induced diabetes mellitus. | dianex, a polyherbal formulation consisting of the aqueous extracts of gymnema sylvestre, eugenia jambolana, momordica charantia azadirachta indica, cassia auriculata, aegle marmelose, withania somnifera and curcuma longa was screened for hypoglycemic activity in normal and streptozotocin induced diabetic mice. dianex was administered in different doses of 100-500 mg/kg/day orally in acute (6 h) and long-term (6 weeks) studies. blood glucose levels were checked 2-6 h after treatment in acute stu ... | 2005 | 16106394 |
| in vitro enzyme inhibition activities of crude ethanolic extracts derived from medicinal plants of pakistan. | twenty two crude ethanolic extracts from 14 indigenous medicinal plants were subjected to enzyme inhibition screening against acetylcholinesterase (ache), butyrylcholinesterase (bche) and lipoxygenase enzymes (lo). three extracts showed activity against ache, nine extracts were found to be active against bche and four extracts inhibited the enzyme lo. the most significant inhibition activities (> or =50%) were found in extracts derived from aloe vera (leaves), alpinia galanga (rhizome), curcuma ... | 2005 | 16010821 |
| adaptogenic activity of glyco-peptido-lipid fraction from the alcoholic extract of trichopus zeylanicus gaerten (part ii). | anti-stress activity was carried out on glyco-peptido-lipid (af) fraction from the alcoholic extract of trichopus zeylanicus gaerten and demonstrated against a battery of tests in rats and mice. af exhibited significant anti-stress activity in dose-related manners in all the parameters studied against different models used to induce non-specific stress viz physical and chemically. the major parameters studied were immobilization induced gastric ulceration, adjuvant-induced trauma (stress); humor ... | 2005 | 16008124 |
| neuroprotective effects of withania somnifera on 6-hydroxydopamine induced parkinsonism in rats. | 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. in the present study, we evaluated the anti-parkinsonian effects of withania somnifera extract, which has been reported to have potent anti-oxidant, anti-peroxidative and free radical quenching properties in various diseased conditions. rats were pretreated with 100, 200 and 300 mg/kg b.w. of t ... | 2005 | 15901053 |
| cytotoxicity of plants used in traditional medicine in yemen. | twenty-five extracts obtained from 14 plant species used in the traditional medicine in yemen have been screened for cytotoxic activity against human ecv-304 cells. extracts of dracaena cinnabari, eucalyptus camaldulensis, euclea divinorum, euphorbia cactus, pulicaria crispa, and withania somnifera displayed a remarkable activity. | 2005 | 15890471 |
| roots of withania somnifera inhibit forestomach and skin carcinogenesis in mice. | we evaluated the cancer chemopreventive efficacy of the withania somnifera root, which has been used in the indian traditional medicine system for many centuries for the treatment of various ailments. since, studies showing its mechanism-based cancer chemopreventive efficacy are limited, this was investigated in the present study. we studied the effect of dietary administration of withania root on hepatic phase i, phase ii and antioxidant enzymes by estimation of its level/activity, as well as i ... | 2005 | 15841284 |
| antibacterial efficacy of withania somnifera (ashwagandha) an indigenous medicinal plant against experimental murine salmonellosis. | in the present study, we evaluated the antibacterial activity of ashwagandha [withania somnifera l. dunal (solanaceae; root and leaves)], an indian traditional medicinal plant against pathogenic bacteria. both aqueous as well as alcoholic extracts of the plant (root as well as leaves) were found to possess strong antibacterial activity against a range of bacteria, as revealed by in vitro agar well diffusion method. the methanolic extract was further subfractionated using various solvents and the ... | 2005 | 15830846 |
| genetically modified hairy roots of withania somnifera dunal: a potent source of rejuvenating principles. | transgenic hairy roots were induced from withania somnifera dunal, by infecting leaf explants with agrobacterium rhizogenes. polymerase chain reaction for rol a gene and southern blot confirmed the integration of t-dna in the genome. cultures were grown in murashige and skoog solid as well as in liquid medium. the antioxidant activity was assayed in roots grown in solid media and liquid media. hairy roots grown in liquid media found to possess highly significant activity in 1,1-diphenyl-2-pecryl ... | 2005 | 15798373 |
| neuritic regeneration and synaptic reconstruction induced by withanolide a. | we investigated whether withanolide a (wl-a), isolated from the indian herbal drug ashwagandha (root of withania somnifera), could regenerate neurites and reconstruct synapses in severely damaged neurons. we also investigated the effect of wl-a on memory-deficient mice showing neuronal atrophy and synaptic loss in the brain. axons, dendrites, presynapses, and postsynapses were visualized by immunostaining for phosphorylated neurofilament-h (nf-h), microtubule-associated protein 2 (map2), synapto ... | 2005 | 15711595 |
| withaferin a is a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis. | the medicinal plant withania somnifera is widely researched for its anti-inflammatory, cardioactive and central nervous system effects. in ayurveda , the major traditional indian medicine system, extracts from w. somnifera are distinctively employed for the treatment of arthritis and menstrual disorders. because these conditions involve angiogenic processes we hypothesized that the w. somnifera extracts might contain angiogenesis inhibitors. we employed an endothelial cell-sprouting assay to mon ... | 2004 | 15516832 |
| evaluation of the anti-proliferative and anti-oxidative activities of leaf extract from in vivo and in vitro raised ashwagandha. | withania somnifera (ashwagandha) is used in indian traditional medicine, ayurveda and is believed to have a variety of health promoting effects. molecular mechanisms and pathways underlying these effects have not been studied. we tried to characterize various activities of leaf extract of ashwagandha (lash) raised in the field and in the laboratory. we found that the lash from field-raised plants has a significant anti-proliferative activity in human tumorigenic cells. however, it did not impart ... | 2004 | 15500938 |
| the treatment of skin carcinoma, induced by uv b radiation, using 1-oxo-5beta, 6beta-epoxy-witha-2-enolide, isolated from the roots of withania somnifera, in a rat model. | histopathological studies of the cutaneous tissues of wistar rats exposed to uv b radiation (294 nm) for 20 days and rats exposed to uv b radiation for 20 days, followed by topical treatment with benzoyl peroxide, a tumor promoter (20 mg/animal/0.2 ml acetone) twice a week for 1 month, and kept under observation for 12 weeks, demonstrate the development of malignancy. pretreatment of the animals with 1-oxo-5beta, 6beta-epoxy-witha-2-enolide (20 mg/kg bwt.), isolated from the roots of withania so ... | 2004 | 15330502 |
| cardioprotection from ischemia and reperfusion injury by withania somnifera: a hemodynamic, biochemical and histopathological assessment. | the efficacy of withania somnifera (ws) to limit myocardial injury after ischemia and reperfusion was explored and compared to that of vit e, a reference standard known to reduce mortality and infarct size due to myocardial infarction. wistar rats (150-200 g) were divided into six groups and received orally saline (sham, control group), ws-50/kg (ws control and treated group) and vit e-100 mg/kg (vit e control and treated group) respectively for 1 month. on the 31st day, rats of the control, vit ... | 2004 | 15228084 |
| the in vitro antibacterial/synergistic activities of withania somnifera extracts. | the methanol, hexane and diethyl ether extracts from both leaves and roots of withania somnifera were evaluated for the antibacterial/synergistic activity by agar plate disc-diffusion assay against salmonella typhimurium and escherichia coli. different concentrations of tibrim, a combination of rifampicin and isoniazid, were tested to find out the minimum inhibitory concentration (mic), which came out to be 0.1 mg/ml for s. typhimurium and e. coli. from the six extracts tested, only methanol and ... | 2004 | 15159002 |
| susceptibility of hippocampus and cerebral cortex to oxidative damage in streptozotocin treated mice: prevention by extracts of withania somnifera and aloe vera. | diabetes mellitus is reported to impair the memory function in experimental animals. since the mammalian hippocampus and cerebral cortex play a pivotal role in a diverse set of cognitive functions, such as novelty detection and memory, we examined the vulnerability of cortex and hippocampus regions of the brain to oxidative damage in streptozotocin (stz) diabetic mice. we next examined the attenuating effect of extracts of withania somnifera and aloe vera on prevention of hippocampal and cortica ... | 2004 | 15080956 |
| mechanisms of cardioprotective effect of withania somnifera in experimentally induced myocardial infarction. | the present study was designed to evaluate the cardioprotective potential of hydro-alcoholic extract of withania somnifera on the basis of haemodynamic, histopathological and biochemical parameters in the isoprenaline-(isoproterenol) induced myocardial necrosis in rats and to compare with vitamin e, a known cardioprotective antioxidant. wistar albino male rats (150-200 g) were divided into six main groups: sham, isoprenaline control, withania somnifera/vitamin e control and withania somnifera/vi ... | 2004 | 15078343 |
| natural phospholipase a(2) myotoxin inhibitor proteins from snakes, mammals and plants. | a renewed interest in the phenomenon of inter- and intra-species resistance towards the toxicity of snake venoms, coupled with the search for new strategies for treatment of snake envenomations, has prompted the discovery of proteins which neutralize the major toxic components of these venoms. among these emerging groups of proteins are inhibitors of toxic phospholipases a2 (pla2s), many of which exhibit a wide range of toxic effects including muscle-tissue damage, neurotoxicity, and inflammatio ... | 2003 | 15019494 |
| effect of 1-oxo-5beta, 6beta-epoxy-witha-2-ene-27-ethoxy-olide isolated from the roots of withania somnifera on stress indices in wistar rats. | isolation of biologically active fractions and compounds from the roots of withania somnifera, a plant used extensively as a constituent of rasayana, in ayurveda and to test their adaptogenic activity on stress indices using the cold-hypoxia-restraint (c-h-r) model. | 2003 | 14736361 |
| immunoprotection by botanical drugs in cancer chemotherapy. | most of the synthetic chemotherapeutic agents available today are immunosuppressants, cytotoxic, and exert variety of side effects that are particularly evident in cancer chemotherapy. botanical based immunomodulators are often employed as supportive or adjuvant therapy to overcome the undesired effects of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic agents and to restore normal health. total extract, polar and non-polar extracts, and their formulations, prepared from medicinal plants mentioned in ayurveda, namel ... | 2004 | 14698508 |
| withania somnifera (ashwagandha) attenuates antioxidant defense in aged spinal cord and inhibits copper induced lipid peroxidation and protein oxidative modifications. | withania somnifera is classified in ayurveda, the ancient indian system of medicine, as a rasayana, a group of plant-derived drugs which promote physical and mental health, augment resistance of the body against disease and diverse adverse environmental factors, revitalize the body in debilitated conditions and increase longevity. we investigated the effects of withania somnifera on copper-induced lipid peroxidation and antioxidant enzymes in aging spinal cord of wistar rats. the activity of glu ... | 2003 | 14682611 |
| growth inhibition of human tumor cell lines by withanolides from withania somnifera leaves. | ayurvedic medicines prepared in india consist of withania somnifera roots as one of the main ingredients. it is consumed as a dietary supplement around the world. the leaves of w. somnifera were used in the treatment of tumors and inflammation in several asian countries. we have isolated twelve withanolides such as withaferin a (1), sitoindoside ix (2), 4-(1-hydroxy-2, 2-dimethylcyclpropanone)-2, 3-dihydrowithaferin a (3), 2, 3-dihydrowithaferin a (4), 24, 25-dihydro-27-desoxywithaferin a (5), p ... | 2003 | 14575818 |
| antiatherogenic effect of caps ht2, a herbal ayurvedic medicine formulation. | the antiatherogenic effect of a herbal formulation, caps ht2, was evaluated as antioxidant, anticoagulant, platelet antiaggregatory, lipoprotein lipase releasing, anti-inflammatory and hypolipidaemic activity in rats. the formulation contained the methanolic extracts of selected parts of plants, commiphora mukul, allium sativum, plumbago indica, semecarpus anacardium, hemidesmus indicus, terminalia arjuna, tinospora cordifolia, withania somnifera and ocimum sanctum. the formulation, caps ht2 was ... | 2003 | 13678230 |
| effect of withania somnifera root extract on haloperidol-induced orofacial dyskinesia: possible mechanisms of action. | we investigated the role of oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of haloperidol (hp)-induced orofacial dyskinesia and evaluated the beneficial effect of withania somnifera (ws) root extract in the amelioration of hp-induced vacuous chewing movements (vcms) and tongue protrusions in the rat model for td. rats were treated for 21 days with intraperitoneal hp (1 mg/kg); on day 22, vcms and tongue protrusions were counted during a 5-minute observation period. hp-treated rats significantly develop ... | 2003 | 12935321 |
| adaptogenic activity of withania somnifera: an experimental study using a rat model of chronic stress. | withania somnifera (ws) dunal is classified in ayurveda, the ancient hindu system of medicine, as a rasayana, a group of plant-derived drugs reputed to promote physical and mental health, augment resistance of the body against disease and diverse adverse environmental factors, revitalise the body in debilitated conditions and increase longevity. these attributes are remarkably similar to the properties ascribed to adaptogens like panax ginseng (pg) in contemporary medicine. as such, the adaptoge ... | 2003 | 12895672 |
| evaluation of withania somnifera in a middle cerebral artery occlusion model of stroke in rats. | 1. stroke causes brain injury in millions of people worldwide each year. despite the enormity of the problem, there is currently no approved therapy that can reduce infarct size or neurological disability. one of the approaches that can be used in limiting the neurological damage after stroke is the use of prophylactic treatment in patients with a high-risk of stroke. the present study was undertaken to investigate the effect of the indian herbal plant withania somnifera as a prophylactic treatm ... | 2003 | 12859433 |
| adaptogenic activity of a novel withanolide-free aqueous fraction from the roots of withania somnifera dun. (part ii). | in the indian traditional system of medicine withania somnifera dun. is widely regarded as the indian ginseng. a new withanolide-free hydrosoluble fraction was isolated from the roots of withania somnifera dun. and was evaluated for putative antistress activity against a battery of tests to delineate the activity of this fraction. the latter fraction exhibited significant antistress activity in a dose-related manner (singh et al., 2001) and was further studied against chemical and physical induc ... | 2003 | 12748992 |
| effect of poly herbal formulation, eumil, on neurochemical perturbations induced by chronic stress. | eumil, a polyherbal formulation consisting of standardised extracts of withania somnifera (l) dunal, ocimum sanctum l, asparagus racemosus wilid and emblica officinalis gaertn., is used as an anti-stress agent to attenuate the various aspects of stress related disorders. in the present study, the neurochemical mechanisms underlying the anti-stress activity of eumil were evaluated by measuring the rat brain monoamine neurotransmitter levels and tribulin activity. chronic electroshock stress (14 d ... | 2002 | 12693697 |
| effect of poly herbal formulation, eumil, on chronic stress-induced homeostatic perturbations in rats. | eumil, is a herbal formulation comprising the standardised extracts of withania somnifera (l) dunal, ocimum sanctum l, asparagus racemosus willd and emblica officinalis gaertn., all of which are classified in ayurveda as rasayanas to promote physical and mental health, improve defense mechanisms of the body and enhance longevity. these attributes are similar to the modern concept of adaptogenic agents, which are, known to afford protection to the human physiological system against diverse stress ... | 2002 | 12693696 |
| lens aldose reductase inhibiting potential of some indigenous plants. | cataract is the leading cause of blindness worldover. diabetes is one of the major risk factors for cataractogenesis and aldose reductase (ar) has been reported to play an important role in sugar-induced cataract. in the present study, the ar inhibitory activity of ocimum sanctum (os), withania somnifera (ws), curcuma longa (cl), azadirachta indica (ai) were studied together with their effect on sugar-induced cataractogenic changes in rat lenses in vitro. aqueous extracts of the plants, procured ... | 2003 | 12686449 |
| phenolic antioxidants attenuate hippocampal neuronal cell damage against kainic acid induced excitotoxicity. | increasing evidence supports the role of excitotoxicity in neuronal cell injury. thus, it is extremely important to explore methods to retard or reverse excitotoxic neuronal injury. in this regard, certain dietary compounds are beginning to receive increased attention, in particular those involving phytochemicals found in medicinal plants in alleviating neuronal injury. in the present study, we examined whether medicinal plant extracts protect neurons against excitotoxic lesions induced by kaini ... | 2003 | 12682435 |
| effect of natural and synthetic antioxidants in a mouse model of chronic fatigue syndrome. | chronic fatigue syndrome (cfs) is an illness characterized by persistent and relapsing fatigue, often accompanied by numerous symptoms involving various body systems. the etiology of cfs remains unclear; however, a number of studies have shown that oxidative stress may be involved in its pathogenesis. in the present study, a mouse model of cfs was used in which mice were forced to swim for one 6-minute session on each day for 15 days and the immobility period was recorded. there was a significan ... | 2002 | 12639396 |
| induction of nitric oxide synthase expression by withania somnifera in macrophages. | withania somnifera (ashwagandha, indian ginseng) is an immunostimulant herbal medicine used to improve overall health and prevent diseases, particularly in the elderly. however, the mechanisms underlying its immunostimulant effect is poorly understood. to elucidate the mechanism of withania somnifera, we investigated the effect of a methanolic extract from the root of withania somnifera (ws) on nitric oxide (no) production in j774 macrophages. we found that ws (1-256 microg/ml) produced a signif ... | 2003 | 12551750 |
| effect of withania somnifera root extract on the sexual behaviour of male rats. | to determine the effect of a methanolic extract of withania somnifera (l.) dunal roots on sexual competence of male rats. | 2002 | 12508132 |
| current status of plant products reported to inhibit sperm. | this report reviews research on plant-derived agents that prevent sperm production if taken orally by the male or that incapacitate or kill sperm on contact if used vaginally by the female. it would be of great value to develop fertility inhibitors that are totally selective for reproductive systems and enzymes, and there is a possibility that a plant-derived drug may have this effect. plants that have been studied for their fertility inhibiting effects in the male include: aristolochia indica l ... | 1982 | 12179631 |