Abstract
Study of antitumor and radiosensitizing properties of W. somnifera (Ashwagandha), a well known medicinal plant, have yielded encouraging results. The alcoholic extract of the dried roots of the plant as well as the active component withaferin A isolated from the extract showed significant antitumor and radiosensitizing effects in experimental tumors in vivo, without any noticeable systemic toxicity. Withaferin A gave a sensitizer enhancement ratio of 1.5 for in vitro cell killing of V79 Chinese hamster cells at a non toxic concentration of ~2 μM. The mechanism of action of this compound is not known. The studies so far indicate that W. somnifera could prove to be a good natural source of a potent and relatively safe radiosensitizer/chemotherapeutic agent. Further studies are needed to explore the clinical potential of this plant for cancer therapy.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 927-932 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Indian Journal of Experimental Biology |
Volume | 34 |
Issue number | 10 |
Publication status | Published - 01-10-1996 |
Externally published | Yes |
All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes
- Biotechnology
- Molecular Biology
- Cell Biology