Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal: Phytochemistry, structure-activity relationship, and anticancer potential

Background: Ayurveda is a highly recognized, well-documented, and well-accepted traditional medicine system. This system utilizes many natural products in various forms for therapeutic purposes. Thousands of plants mentioned in the Ayurvedic system are useful in disease mitigation and health preservation. One potential plant of the Ayurvedic system is Ashwagandha [Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal], commonly regarded as Indian Ginseng. It possesses various therapeutic activities, such as neuroprotective, hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective, antiarthritic, and anticancer effects. Purpose: Here we present a comprehensive insight on the anticancer effects of W. somnifera and mechanistic attributes of its bioactive phytocompounds. This review also provides updated information on the clinical studies pertaining to cancer, safety evaluation and opportunities for chemical modifications of withanolides, a group of specialized phytochemicals of W. somnifera. Methods: The present study was performed in accordance with the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic Reviews and Meta-Analysis. Various scientific databases, such as PubMed, Science Direct, Scopus, Google Scholar, were explored for related studies published up to May 2021.

Automated summary

This review provides a comprehensive insight into the anticancer effects of Ashwagandha (W. somnifera) and the mechanistic attributes of its bioactive phytocompounds. It also presents updated information on clinical studies related to cancer, safety evaluation, and opportunities for chemical modifications of withanolides.