Varietal Comparison of Withanolide Contents in Different Tissues of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal (Ashwagandha)

Abstract

Five varieties of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera L. (Dunal) i.e. Chetak, Pratap, Nimithli, Poshita and Jawahar-20 were analyzed for withanolide A and withaferin A. These components were evaluated from leaf, stem, root and seeds using HPLC. These components were present in all these tissues. However, their content varies from tissues to tissue and variety to variety viz (Chetak, Pratap, Nimithli, Poshita and Jawahar-20). Withaferin A and withanolide A contents were found to be highest in Poshita followed by Jawahar-20. Withaferin A and withanolide A contents were also evaluated and compared in field-grown and in-vitro grown plants of Poshita and Jawahar-20. Callus derived from Poshita root showed the highest withaferin A content however, withanolide A was found to be highest in callus derived from Jawahar-20 leaf. Thus this study indicated that promoting an elite variety through tissue culture with consistency in the withanolide contents can be a promising approach to meet the growing demand of Ashwagandha. Key-words: Withania somnifera, Withaferin A, Withanolide A, HPLC, Field grown, In-vitro grown, Ashwagandha INTRODUCTION Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, popularly known as Ashwagandha, is a high valued medicinal plant of India. It is a priority medicinal plant which is identified by National Medicinal Plant Board of India. The roots and leaves of Ashwagandha contain various alkaloids viz withanolides [1] and withaferin A . Among withanolides, withaferin A and withanolide A have been reported to be dominant metabolite distributed among various tissues of this plant in varying concentrations . How to cite this article Singh M, Shah P, Punetha H, Agrawal S. Varietal Comparison of Withanolide