Abstract
Ashwagandha or Winter cherry (Withania somnifera) is an important medicinal plant that originated in India. The plant part of roots is extensively used in Ayurvedic medicine since ancient times. The roots are credited with numerous medicinal properties. A recent medical study proposes phytochemical withaferin which is present in the leaves possesses anti-cancer activity. It is a drought-tolerant annual crop that is grown in marginal soils by small and marginal farmers in the district of Murshidabad of West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan, Karnataka, and other Indian states. Farmers are drawn to large-scale cultivation due to the ease of cultivation and the high price of the roots. In addition to the roots, leaves, and seeds are marketed, increasing farmer profits. The future looks bright for expanding its cultivation and producing a wide range of value-added products from its roots.
Challenges and Opportunities in the Cultivation of Ashwagandha (Withania Somnifera Dunal)
Koushik Mondal1, Anusree Paul2
Introduction
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is a valuable medicinal plant that has long been utilized in Ayurvedic and indigenous medicine. Ashwagandha is also known as Indian ginseng and Indian Winter Cherry, and its roots have been used in Ayurvedic and Unani ancient systems of treatment. Over 4000 years ago, sage Punarvasu Atreya addressed ashwagandha for the first time. The medicinal qualities of this plant were later noted in Ayurvedic treatises such as Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Astanga Hridaya, and others. This plant is used in the preparation of 200 traditional medicinal formulations in the Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani systems. The entire plant is reputed to have therapeutic qualities (Singh and Kumar, 1998).
Farmers are attracted to large-scale cultivation due to the low cost of cultivation and the high value of the roots (Rao et al., 2012). It grows in subtropical dry areas like Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. Ashwagandha’s demand for roots has increased in the domestic market over the last decade. The demand for ashwagandha alkaloids has also increased in the international market. The farming of Ashwagandha started in the late 90s and at the start of the 21st century, before that it was collected from forest areas to meet the domestic demand.
Uses and Pharmacological Activities
Modern research suggests that Ashwagandha may be advantageous for a variety of purposes. However, much remains unknown about how the plant interacts with the human body. A majority of the studies so far- while very promising- have been done on animals. This plant’s preparations were used in folk medicine to treat asthma, arthritis, bronchitis, adenopathy, anthrax, cancer, candida, cold, cough, cystitis, debility diarrhea, dropsy, dyspepsia, fever, gynecopathy, hiccup, hypertension, piles, inflammation, lumbago, psoriasis, ringworm, scabies, senility, nausea, smallpox, sores, syphilis, typhoid and wounds.
Traditional systems of medicine use ashwagandha-derived drugs to treat nerve problems, stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, insomnia, aging, and sexual disorders. Leaves are used for treating fever, swelling, lesions, sore eyes and syphilitic sores. Green berries are used for treating animal sores, ringworm infections,s and horse’s girth galls (Singh and Kumar, 1998).
Chemical Constituents
The biologically active chemical constituents of Withania somnifera (WS) include alkaloids (isopelletierine, Tropine, anaferine, cuseohygrine, anahygrine, cuscohygrine 3-tigloyloxtropine, 3-tropyltigloate, hygrine, mesoanaferine, choline, somniferine withanine, hentriacontane, visamine, and withasomnineetc.), steroidal lactones (withasomidienone, withanolides, Withanone, , withasomniferols A-C, withaferins) and saponins ( sitoindoside VII and VIII) (Mishra et al., 2000).Ashwagandha’s sitoindosides and acylsterylglucosides are anti-stress agents. Ashwagandha’s active constituents, such as sitoindosides VII- X and Withaferin-A, have been shown to exhibit considerable anti-stress action against acute forms of experimental stress (Bhattacharya et al., 1987).
Opportunities
Due to its rich biodiversity, India is a treasure trove of medicinal plants and a gold mine of medicinal knowledge. It is the second largest exporter of medicinal plants in the world, after China, and is home to more than 300,000 herbal medicine preparations used in ancient healing systems like Ayurveda, Unani, and Homeopathy. The demand for medicinal plants is increasing globally and has the potential to generate a higher income for farmers than traditional crops. It encourages small farmers to implement a resource shift from cereals and low-value crops to medicinal and aromatic plants with high value. These high-value plants necessitate fewer inputs, resulting in greater income realization for farmers and facilitating their production in harmony with the environment.
Global interest in this plant and the high demand for its roots provide great opportunities for commercial cultivation (Kattimani et al., 2001). Other opportunities are remunerative return, the present market price of the root, cultivation can be done in rainfed conditions, and in an integrated cropping system with traditional crops.
Value Addition
In addition to the traditional medicines derived from this plant, Ashwagandha is also used to make root powder, capsules, root extract, herbal beer, etc.
Health drinks, herbal tea, functional foods, nutraceuticals, and cosmeceuticals are examples of products with added value on which businesses can be founded.
Challenges
1. Market exploitation of farmers by middlemen: Profit-seeking middlemen pose the greatest obstacle to boosting farmers’ income in India. Commission agents, traders, and wholesalers take a sizable portion of farmers’ profits.
2. Limited exports: Most of the farmers cultivate the ashwagandha plant on a small scale and on fragmented land, they target only the domestic market. So, the export opportunity for small-scale farmers is very low, due to improper channels of distribution.
3. Price fluctuations of roots: Prices of agricultural products fluctuate more than those of manufactured goods. In other words, the price volatility of agricultural products is greater than that of manufactured goods. There are numerous factors that contribute to price fluctuations. Some of these factors cause temporary fluctuations, while others have longer-lasting effects. All factors that cause price fluctuations have direct or indirect effects on demand or supply.
4. Changing climatic conditions: The secondary metabolites of plants are the source of pharmaceutical industrially important biochemicals. The growth of a plant and the production of secondary metabolites are affected by environmental factors, such as temperature, humidity, light intensity, water, minerals, and CO2. The effects of climate change on the life cycles and distribution of the world’s vegetation, including wild medicinal plants, are observable.
5. Patenting by foreign companies: Approximately eight patent applications have been filed in India by Indian and Japanese entities. Twelve additional patents mentioning Ashwagandha have been filed by Indian and American companies and institutes in India and the United States, demonstrating the interest shown by foreign companies in this plant. Approximately eight patent applications have been filed in India by Indian and Japanese entities. Twelve additional patents mentioning Ashwagandha have been filed by Indian and American companies and institutes in India and the United States, demonstrating the interest shown by foreign companies in this plant. This is a challenge that needs to be addressed immediately.
6. Long duration of the crop:The crop is ready for harvest 180-210 days after planting. Within this time any conventional crop harvested and the next crop also be sown, so farmers get more interest in conventional crops rather than medicinal crops like ashwagandha.
7. Pests and diseases infections reducing yield and resulting in plant mortality: A number of leaf-eating pests (mites, aphids, beetles) and diseases (seedling blight, leaf blight, die back etc.) are reported on Ashwagandha
8. Low root yields, and high fibre content of the roots in some locations.
Side Effect
Small to moderate doses of ashwagandha are considered as generally well-tolerated. However, there are insufficient long-term studies to examine potential side effects. Women who are pregnant should avoid using ashwagandha because it can induce labor. The fact that Ayurvedic herb manufacturers are not regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is a potential source of concern (FDA).
Conclusion
Ashwagandha is a promising medicinal plant from India with possibilities for international trade. Even though it has potential as a medicinal crop, relatively little research has been done on it. On this crop, more academic study is badly needed. It is expected that extending its cultivation and production has a bright future.
References
1. Bhattacharya SK, Goel RK, Kaur R, Ghosal S. (1987). Anti-stress activity of Sitoindosides VII and VIII. New Acylsterylglucosides from Withania somnifera. Phytother Res.1(1) :32–37
2. Kattimani K.N., Reddy Y.N. and Rajeswara Rao B.R. (2001) J. Med. Arom. Pl. Sci., 22(4A) and 23(1A), 221-223
3. Mishra LC, Singh BB, Dagenais S. (2000) Scientific basis for the therapeutic use of Withania somnifera. (Ashwagandha): A review. Alternative Medicine Reviews.5 (4):334-346.
4. Rajeshwara Rao B R, Rajput D K, Nagaraju G and Adinarayana G. (2012). Journal of Pharmacognosy, 3. (2), 88-91
5. Singh S. and Kumar S. (1998) Withania Somnifera: The Indian Ginseng Ashwagandha, 293