RE: Ashwagandha and Integrative Oncology Winters M. Ancient medicine, modern use: Withania somnifera and its potential role in

Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) has been used for centuries in Ayurvedic medicine to increase longevity and vitality.1 Western research supports its polypharmaceutical use, confirming antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, immune-modulating, and antistress properties in the whole plant extract and several separate constituents.2 The author reviews the literature pertaining to ashwagandha and its botanical constituents as antitumor agents and its use in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy treatment. The review was limited to books and articles published in English and indexed on the MEDLINE and EBSCO medical databases. Keywords used were Withania somnifera, Dunal, ashwagandha (including alternate spellings), winter cherry, Indian ginseng, withanolide, glycowithanolide, withaferin, and rasayana. Of the 218 articles about the herb identified, 55 pertain directly to its antitumor actions or explore its effects when administered concomitantly with radiation and/or chemotherapy. Both in vivo and in vitro research attest to the cytotoxic and antitumor potential of ashwagandha. The author cites a study in which osteogenic sarcoma and breast carcinoma cell lines were treated with 3-24 µg/mL aqueous leaf powder extract of ashwagandha. Stud