Current Status of Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal: An Endangered Medicinal Plant from Himalaya

Withania somnifera is highly medicinal plant species of Pakistan floristically placed in the Western Himalayan Province, Himalaya Range of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and in the Soon valley (Salt Range) of Punjab Pakistan. It grows in high altitude of 5500 feet in the Himalayas. Its English name is Winter Cherry and its Urdu name is Asghand/Kutilal. It is the low lying shrub of about 1.50 m in height with erect branching. It grows in dry arid regions of Pakistan, India, China and Bangladesh. Its flowers are bisexual, small, axillary, greenish, solitary and few-flowered cymes. Chemical analysis of Ashwagandha showed that it has alkaloids and steroidal lactones (withanolides) as the main chemical constituent. W. somnifera has not yet been assessed for the IUCN Red List. However, in Pakistan, W. somnifera is falling under criteria A of endangered category. Asghand (W. somnifera) acquires much therapeutic potential which include sedative, narcotic, thyroid stimulation, anti-inflammatory, hypnotic, anti-stress, general tonic, diuretic, antimicrobial, and antitumor activities. There are number of threats responsible for the decrease of W. somnifera number in western Himalayan range and salt range of Punjab Pakistan which may include deforestation over exploitation and climatic changes. Conservation strategies need to be adopted for improving the population pool of W. somnifera. There is also the dire need to conserve this important medicinal plant species with some standard biotechnological approaches and conservation strategies in future.