Macroscopic evaluation of genuine and market samples of Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunal) in Kerala

Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunal (Solanaceae) is a very important ayurvedic herb used from time immemorial. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) mentions root of Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunal as the officinal part of Ashwagandha. In Kerala, it is used in a variety of formulations either as single or in combinations. But there is a huge difference between its demand and availability. So the study was undertaken to assess the genuineness of Ashwagandha available in herbal raw drug markets of Kerala. For this purpose, 28 commercial samples (one from urban and one from rural) of Ashwagandha was collected from each of 14 districts of Kerala and its characters were compared with the root collected from the genuine source plant of Ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunal] and also with the standards mentioned for Ashwagandha in API. There was great difficulty in procuring original Ashwagandha because it is not cultivated in Kerala. So it was collected from Bhopal in Madhyapradesh where the best variety of Ashwagandha is obtained, which is called ‘Nagori Ashwagandha’ Comparisons were done with the aid of macroscopic evaluation which is a part of Pharmacognostical evaluation. The result got from each of these matched with that of genuine sample and the standards given in API. So the samples got from each of the 14 districts of Kerala are thus found to be genuine.