about two medicinal herbs- ashwagandha and aloevera

1. WELCOME TO THE WORLD
OF MEDICINAL HERBS

2. WE WILL ONLY DISCUUS TWO
MEDICINAL HERBS.
1. ASHWAGANDHA (Withania somnifera)
2. ALOE VERA

3. ASHWAGANDHA
KINGDOM : Plantae
ORDER : Solanales
FAMILY : Solanaceae
GENUS : Withania
SPECIES : W.somnifera
BINOMIAL NAME : Withania somnifera

4. Withania somnifera, also known as
ashwagandha, Indian ginseng, poison
gooseberry, or winter cherry, is a plant in the
Solanaceae or nightshade family. Several
other species in the genus Withania are
morphologically similar. It is used as a herb in
Ayurvedic medicine.

5. DESCRIPTION
It grows as a short shrub (35–75 cm) with a
central stem from which branches extend
radially in a star pattern (stellate) and
covered with a dense matte of wooly hairs
(tomentose). The flowers are small and
green, while the ripe fruit is orange-red and
has milk-coagulating properties. The plant's
long, brown, tuberous roots are used for
medicinal purposes.

6. ETYMOLOGY
Ashwagandha in Sanskrit means "horse's
smell" (ashwa- horse, gandha- smell),
probably originating from the odour of its root
which resembles that of a sweaty horse.
[citation needed]
The species name somnifera means "sleep-
inducing" in Latin.

7. CULTIVATION
Withania somnifera is cultivated in many of
the drier regions of India, such as Mandsau
District of Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Sindh,
Gujarat, and Rajasthan. It is also found in
Nepal.

8. CLIMATIC CONDITIONS FOR
GROWTH
Withania somnifera is grown as late rainy-season
(kharif) crop. Semitropical areas receiving 500 to
750 mm rainfall are suitable for its cultivation as a
rainfed crop. If one or two winter rains are
received, then root development improves.
The crop requires a relatively dry season during its
growing period. It can tolerate a temperature
range of 20 to 38°C and as low a temperature as
10°C. The plant grows from sea level to an altitude
of 1500 meters

9. PATHOLOGY
Withania somnifera is prone to several pests
and diseases. Leaf spot disease caused by
Alternaria alternata is the most prevalent
disease, which is most severe in the plains of
Punjab, Haryana, and Himachal Pradesh.
Biodeterioration of its pharmaceutically active
components during leaf spot disease has been
reported. The Choanephora cucurbitarum
causes a stem and leaf rot of Withania
somnifera.

10. CULINARY USE
The berries can be used as a substitute for
rennet, to coagulate milk in cheese-making .

11. MEDICINAL USE
The main chemical constituents are alkaloids
and steroidal lactones. These include tropine
and cuscohygrine. The leaves contain the
steroidal lactones, withanolides, notably
withaferin A, which was the first withanolide to
be isolated from W. somnifera.

12. TRADITIONAL MEDICINAL USES
In Ayurveda, the berries and leaves of W.
somnifera are locally applied to tumors,
tubercular glands, carbuncles, and ulcers. The
roots of W. somnifera are used to prepare the
herbal remedy ashwagandha, which has been
traditionally used to treat various symptoms
and conditions .

13. SIDE EFFECTS
In two published clinical trials of W. somnifera,
the side effects were not significantly different
from those experienced by placebo-treated
individuals .

14. ALOE VERA
Aloe vera is a succulent plant species that probably
originated in northern Africa. The species does not have
any naturally occurring populations, although closely
related aloes do occur in northern Africa. The species is
frequently cited as being used in herbal medicine since
the beginning of the first century AD. Extracts from A.
vera are widely used in the cosmetics and alternative
medicine industries, being marketed as variously having
rejuvenating, healing or soothing properties. There is,
however, little scientific evidence of the effectiveness or
safety of A. vera extracts for either cosmetic or
medicinal purposes, and what positive evidence is
available is frequently contradicted by other studies.

15. USES
Preparations made from the plant Aloe vera are often
referred to as "aloe vera". Scientific evidence for the
cosmetic and therapeutic effectiveness of aloe vera is
limited and when present is frequently contradictory.
Despite this, the cosmetic and alternative medicine
industries regularly make claims regarding the soothing,
moisturizing, and healing properties of aloe vera. Aloe
vera gel is used as an ingredient in commercially
available lotions, yogurt, beverages, and some desserts,
although at certain doses, it has toxic properties when
used either for ingested or topical applications.

16. FOLK MEDICINE
Early records of Aloe vera use appear in the Ebers
Papyrus from 16th century BC, in both Dioscorides' De
Materia Medica and Pliny the Elder's Natural History
written in the mid-first century AD along with the
Juliana Anicia Codex produced in 512 AD. The species is
used widely in the traditional herbal medicine of many
countries. Aloe vera, called kathalai in Ayurvedic
medicine, is used as a multipurpose skin treatment.
This may be partly due to the presence of saponin, a
chemical compound that acts as an anti-microbial
agent.

17. DIETARY SUPPLEMENT
Aloin, a compound found in the exudate of some Aloe
species, was the common ingredient in over-the-
counter (OTC) laxative products in the United States
prior to 2003, when the Food and Drug Administration
ruled that aloin was a class III ingredient, thereby
banning its use. Aloe vera has potential toxicity, with
side-effects occurring at some dose levels both when
ingested or applied topically. Although toxicity may be
less when aloin is removed by processing, aloe vera
that contains aloin in excess amounts may induce side-
effects.

18. A 2-year National Toxicology Program (NTP) study on
oral consumption of non-decolorized whole leaf extract
of Aloe vera found evidence of carcinogenic activity in
male and female rats. The NTP says more information is
needed to determine the potential risks to humans.
Aloe vera juice is marketed to support the health of the
digestive system, but there is neither scientific evidence
nor regulatory approval to support this claim. The
extracts and quantities typically used for such purposes
appear to be dose-dependent for toxic effects.

19. PRESENTED BY :
SOVIT SUMAN PATRO
X-C
ROLL NO. 42
K.V.BALASORE
GUIDED BY : MR. D. MOHALLICK