Abstract

PHARMACOGNOSTICAL STUDY OF ASWAGANDHA (WITHANIA SOMNIFERA)

*Dr. Santosh Kr. Vishwakarma, Dr. Arjun Kumar, Dr. Rajeev Kumar Pandey, Dr. Sonia Dhiman and Dr. Raman Ranjan

ABSTRACT

Withania somnifera, commonly known as Aswangandha, Indian Ginseng or Winter cherry, was widely used back in Mesopotamia for its medicinal and narcotic properties. The first description of Aswagandha is found by the name „Asmagandha’ (assumed to be Aswagandha) in the Brahman Grantha. In Shatpath Brahman and Kaushik Sutra it is advised not to keep the drug „Asmagamdha’ in Shamshaan Bhumi (Graveyard). Asmagandha’ literally means ‘bearing smell of a rock’.

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