Mandal Palash, Ghosal Mitali, Misra Tarun Kumar, Das Abhaya Prasad
Different parts of Ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (L. Dunal)] were evaluated for their antioxidant against 2,2- diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) and anti-lipid peroxidation activity. Strong antioxidant scavenging activities were observed in mature root and young root bark portion. Anti-oxidative efficiency to inhibit anti-lipid peroxidation of these plant extracts in goat liver was investigated. Mature root bark of Ashwagandha showed higher class of antilipid peroxidation against thioburbituric acid but the stelar part of young root have low anti-lipid peroxidation activity. The correlation was also drawn with antioxidants, its attributes and soil nutrients profile. Pharmacognostic evaluation including examination of microscopical characters and determination of leaf constants (stomata frequency, stomatal index, palisade ratio, vein islets and vein termination number) were done for determining the authenticity of drug. The observations from this study suggest the ethno-medicinal use of Ashwagandha which could be commercially exploited by the pharmaceutical industry for natural antioxidant.
