Pharmacological implications and emerging uses in clinical practice of Withania somnifera [Implicaciones farmacológicas y usos emergentes en la práctica clínica del Withania somnifera]
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.62574/2cfk7x68Keywords:
traditional medicine, psychological stress, neuroprotectionAbstract
Objective: To analyse the pharmacological implications and emerging uses of Withania somnifera in clinical practice. Method. Descriptive literature review in Google Scholar, Elsevier, SciELO and Medigraphic databases (2020-2025). Twenty articles were selected using Boolean descriptors and specific inclusion criteria. Results and Conclusion: Studies demonstrated a 27.9% reduction in cortisol levels, significant improvements in cognitive function, working memory and sleep quality. Anti-inflammatory effects were observed in arthritis, metabolic benefits in type 2 diabetes and improved physical performance. The effective dosage ranged from 300-1000 mg daily. Ashwagandha has neuroprotective, anxiolytic, and adaptogenic properties with a favourable safety profile. Larger-scale clinical studies are needed to establish optimal doses and definitive therapeutic recommendations.
Downloads
References
Organización Mundial de la Salud. La OMS destaca la necesidad urgente de transformar la salud mental y la atención de la salud mental [Internet]. Ginebra: OMS; 2022 [citado 2025 feb 18]. Disponible en: https://www.who.int/es/news/item/17-06-2022-who-highlights-urgent-need-to-transform-mental-health-and-mental-health-care
Zahiruddin S, Basist P, Parveen A, Parveen R, Khan W, Gaurav, Ahmad S. Ashwagandha in brain disorders: A review of recent developments. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020;112876. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.112876
Speers AB, Cabey KA, Soumyanath A, Wright KM. Effects of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) on stress and the stress-related neuropsychiatric disorders anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Curr Neuropharmacol. 2021;19(9):1468-1495. doi:10.2174/1570159X19666210712151556
Paul S, Chakraborty S, Anand U, Dey S, Nandy S, Ghorai M, et al. Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Ashwagandha): A comprehensive review on ethnopharmacology, pharmacotherapeutics, biomedicinal and toxicological aspects. Biomed Pharmacother. 2021;143:112175. doi:10.1016/j.biopha.2021.112175
Kuboyama T, Tohda C, Komatsu K. Effects of Ashwagandha (roots of Withania somnifera) on neurodegenerative diseases. Biol Pharm Bull. 2014;37(6):892-897. doi:10.1248/bpb.b14-00022
Mikulska P, Malinowska M, Ignacyk M, Szustowski P, Nowak J, Pesta K, et al. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera)-Current research on the health-promoting activities: A narrative review. Pharmaceutics. 2023;15(4):1057. doi:10.3390/pharmaceutics15041057
Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Malvi H, Kodgule R. An investigation into the stress-relieving and pharmacological actions of an ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) extract: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Medicine. 2019;98(37):e17186. doi:10.1097/MD.0000000000017186
Bonilla DA, Moreno Y, Gho C, Petro JL, Odriozola-Martínez A, Kreider RB. Effects of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) on physical performance: Systematic review and Bayesian meta-analysis. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. 2021;6(1):20. doi:10.3390/jfmk6010020
Jhooty S, Barkhaus P, Brown A, Mascias Cadavid J, Carter GT, Crayle J, et al. ALSUntangled #74: Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha). Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener. 2024;25(7-8):805-808. doi:10.1080/21678421.2024.2311721
Guo S, Rezaei MJ. The benefits of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) supplements on brain function and sports performance. Front Nutr. 2024;11:1439294. doi:10.3389/fnut.2024.1439294
Lopresti AL, Smith SJ. Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) for the treatment and enhancement of mental and physical conditions: A systematic review of human trials. Herb Med. 2021;100434. doi:10.1016/j.hermed.2021.100434
Langade D, Kanchi S, Salve J, Debnath K, Ambegaokar D. Efficacy and safety of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root extract in insomnia and anxiety: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Cureus. 2019;11(9):e5797. doi:10.7759/cureus.5797
Verma N, Gupta SK, Tiwari S, Mishra AK. Safety of Ashwagandha root extract: A randomized, placebo-controlled study in healthy volunteers. Complement Ther Med. 2021;57:102642. doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2020.102642
Kanjilal S, Gupta AK, Patnaik RS, Dey A. Analysis of clinical trial registry of India for evidence of anti-arthritic properties of Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha). Altern Ther Health Med. 2021;27(6):58-66.
Lim XY, Barnes J. Ashwagandha. J Prim Health Care. 2024;16(1):112-114.
Langade D, Thakare V, Kanchi S, Kelgane S. Clinical evaluation of the pharmacological impact of Ashwagandha root extract on sleep in healthy volunteers and insomnia patients: A double-blind, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study. J Ethnopharmacol. 2020;113276. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2020.113276
Park CW, Hong KB, Suh HJ, Ahn Y. Sleep-promoting activity of amylase-treated Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera L. Dunal) root extract via GABA receptors. J Food Drug Anal. 2023;31(2):278-288. doi:10.38212/2224-6614.3456
Xing D, Yoo C, Gonzalez D, Jenkins V, Nottingham K, Dickerson B, et al. Effects of acute Ashwagandha ingestion on cognitive function. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022;19(19):11852. doi:10.3390/ijerph191911852
Della Porta M, Maier JA, Cazzola R. Effects of Withania somnifera on cortisol levels in stressed human subjects: A systematic review. Nutrients. 2023;15(24):5015. doi:10.3390/nu15245015
Sprengel M, Laskowski R, Jost Z. Suplementación con Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha): una revisión de sus mecanismos, beneficios para la salud y papel en el rendimiento deportivo. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2025;22:9. doi:10.1186/s12986-025-00902-7
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Christian Xavier Mata-Chango, Daniel Alejandro Velastegui-Zurita, Juan Alberto Viteri Rodriguez (Autor/a)

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
CC BY-NC-SA : Esta licencia permite a los reutilizadores distribuir, remezclar, adaptar y construir sobre el material en cualquier medio o formato solo con fines no comerciales, y solo siempre y cuando se dé la atribución al creador. Si remezcla, adapta o construye sobre el material, debe licenciar el material modificado bajo términos idénticos.




