Description:

Withania somnifera, also known as ashwagandha, [2] Indianginseng, [3] poison gooseberry, [3] or winter cherry, [2] is aplant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Several other speciesin the genus Withania are morphologically similar.[4] It is used asa herb in Ayurvedic medicine.
The main chemical constituents are alkaloids and steroidallactones. These include tropine and cuscohygrine. The leavescontain the steroidal lactones, withanolides, notably withaferin A,which was the first withanolide to be isolated from W.somnifera.
Traditional medicinal uses

In Ayurveda, the berries and leaves of W. somnifera are locallyapplied to tumors, tubercular glands, carbuncles, and ulcers.[5]The roots of W. somnifera are used to prepare the herbal remedyashwagandha, which has been traditionally used to treat varioussymptoms and conditions.