Editing Ashwagandha

[[Information on nutritional supplements people with ALS have been taking]]

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Withania_somnifera Wikipedia page]

*[https://examine.com/supplements/Ashwagandha Examine.com] 

''Withania somnifera'', commonly known as ashwagandha, is an herb used in Ayurveda medicine.

== General effects==
* Potent anxiolytic effects in the context of chronic stress.{{#pmid:21407960|Andrade2000}}
* Significantly reduces the symptoms of stress, including reduction in cortisol.
* Reduction seen in C-reactive protein
* Power output improvements  in trained persons and in sedentary persons who simply took the supplement as well as untrained people who began strength training. 

== Effects on ALS ==
* In '''SOD1 mice''', Withaferin A, a compound in ashwagandha '''alleviates neuroinflammation, decreases levels of misfolded SOD1 in the spinal cord, reduces loss of motor neurons resulting in delayed disease progression and mortality'''. WA triggered '''robust induction of heat shock protein 25''' (a mouse ortholog of heat shock protein 27), which may explain the reduced level of misfolded SOD1 species in the spinal cord of SOD1(G93A) mice. {{#pmid:25404049|priyanka2015}}
* In '''TDP-43 (hTDP-43A315T) mice''', ashwagandha root extract '''ameliorated motor performance on rotarod test and cognitive function''' assessed by the passive avoidance test. Ashwagandha root '''improved innervation at neuromuscular junctions, attenuated neuroinflammation, and reduced NF-κB activation'''. Remarkably, treatment '''reversed the cytoplasmic mislocalization of hTDP-43 in spinal motor neurons and in brain cortical neurons''' of hTDP-43A315T mice and it '''reduced hTDP-43 aggregation'''. {{#pmid:27928708|dutta2016}}
* In '''Drosophila melanogaster''' model for ALS, the flies are selectively overexpressing the wild human copper, zinc-superoxide dismutase (hSOD1-gain-of-function) in Drosophila motoneurons. Interestingly, Ashwagandha treatment '''significantly increased lifespan''' of hSDO1 while Mucuna pruriens had not effect. Conversely, both Ashwagandha and Mucuna pruriens significantly '''rescued climbing impairment, and also latency and amplitude of ePSPs as well as failure responses to high frequency DLM stimulation'''. Finally, mitochondrial alterations were any more present in Ashwagandha - but not in Mpe-treated hSOD1 mutants. Hence, given the role of inflammation in the development of ALS, the high translational impact of the model, the known anti-inflammatory properties of these extracts, and the viability of their clinical use, these '''results suggest that the application of Ashwagandha and Mucuna pruriens might represent a valuable pharmacological strategy to counteract the progression of ALS and related symptoms.'''{{#pmid:28102336|derose2017}}

== Discussion threads on the ALSTDI forum ==

* [http://www.als.net/forum/yaf_postst55870_ashwagandha-reverses-tdp43-proteinopathy-in-a-mouse-model-of-alsftd.aspx Ashwagandha Reverses TDP-43 Proteinopathy in a Mouse Model of ALS/FTD]

== References ==

[[Category:Supplement data pages]]