Withania Somnifera and Nano-Enabled Delivery in Brain Health: A Narrative Review of Stress Adaptation, Cognitive Resilience, and Neuroprotective Mechanisms
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.22270/ajprd.v14i4.1854Abstract
Objective(s): To assess the clinical and preclinical evidence in support of Withaniasomnifera (L.) Dunal for stress adaptation, sleep, cognition, and neuroprotection, and to evaluate the scientific basis for the nutraceutical product Nano Ashwagandha™, which provides 500 mg of standardised extract of Withaniasomnifera per capsule.
Data Sources: Published clinical studies, reviews, and meta-analyses as well as preclinical experiments with standardised ashwagandha extracts and isolated phytochemicals and nanoformulations were considered.
Study Selection: Reports were selected based on relevance to chronic stress, anxiety symptoms, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis function, sleep, cognition, oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, excitotoxicity, and nanoformulations. There were no published clinical studies or laboratory experiments with the Biotex Nano Ashwagandha™ product; hence, the assessment relied on reports discussing standardised ashwagandha extracts and nanoformulations of ashwagandha in general.
Summary of Contents: Randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in humans showed that standardised ashwagandha extracts may reduce perceived stress, specific anxiety scores, salivary cortisol levels, and improve several aspects of sleep quality as well as memory, attention, processing speed, and executive function. Preclinical studies revealed the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects of ashwagandha, including regulation of glutathione homeostasis and Nrf2-dependent pathways, neuroprotection through MAPK and PI3K/Akt signalling, and prevention of excitotoxicity caused by glutamate and NMDA. Although preliminary data suggest that nanoformulation may enhance the delivery of ashwagandha into tissues, clinical studies in humans are lacking.
Conclusion: Ashwagandha is a promising nutraceutical for adaptation to stress, improvement of sleep, and enhancement of cognition. The application of nanoformulations may have therapeutic potential; however, no clinical studies in humans have demonstrated the superiority of nano Ashwagandha™ over standardised extracts.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Polineni Sahithi, Dr Rebello Leroy, Dr Chepyala Sreesudha
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