DOI: 10.36347/sajp.2022.v11i01.004

Pages: 20-26

Withania somnifera is the most valuable herbaceous plant, also known as Ashwagandha used in the traditional systems of Indian medicine having many therapeutic effects. It is obtained from the dried roots and stems of Withania somnifera belonging to family Solanaceae. The active chemical constituents of Withania somnifera are withaferin A, withanolide A, withasomniferin-A, isopelletierine, withasomidienone, tropine, withanone, cuscohygrine, anaferine, hygrine, anahygrine, somniferine, mesoanaferine, etc. It is used as a liver tonic, aphrodisiac, in asthma, emaciation, in bronchitis and ulcers. It has life prolonging, rejuvenating effect & also used for the treatment of insomnia, anxiety, skin disease, nervous exhaustion, impotency, enhancing memory and insulin secretion etc. Marketed formulations of Ashwagandha are Ashwagandharista, Himalaya Ashwagandha, Stresswin, Stresscom, Inlife Ashwagandha capsules, Himalaya massage oil, Ancient Apothecary, KSM 66 Ashwagandha, Vigomax, Baidyanath Ashwagandha Amrita 450 ml, Vital plus, Amrutha kasthuri and Brento etc. To maintain the quality of marketed formulations validation should be done. Different validation parameters such as LOQ, LOD, range & linearity, accuracy, ruggedness and specificity have been studied. Ashwagandha is in demand as a good health promoter is expanding in global market. Many efforts were undertaken to develop a better Withania somnifera variety with a specific chemotype. HPTLC (High performance thin layer chromatography) is most important in evaluating the quantity and quality of herbal drug. This technique is modern & effective form of TLC which is used for qualitative and quantitative analytical determination of analytes. It is the simple, rapid, precise, specific, robust and accurate technique. The effect of different extraction methods on marker compound Withaferin-A & other than Withaferin-A, effect of different climatic zones on phytochemical profile of Withania somnifera, different mobile ........