‘Prince of Herbs’, Ashwagandha or Indian Ginseng (Withiana Somnifera) grown in hydroponics under LED lights. Image courtesy of The Functional Plant Co.
Aryvedic medicine relies on a natural and balanced approach to physical and mental health. At its core are plants, herbs and roots with additional phytonutrients that exert positive effects on our health.
One of the most popular ayurvedic herbs is Ashwagandha, otherwise known as Indian ginseng. There is a high market demand in the US for ashwagandha root preparations, which are predominantly sought for improved sleep patterns. I need it badly because of my insomnia!
I will save you the trouble of knowing whether the leaf is edible,…. it is, but it is extremely bitter. Often root preparations are diluted by adding leaf powder.
Ashwagandha is known as an adaptogen because it significantly reduces stress and anxiety. It works by balancing harmful cortisol levels in the body. It’s also a useful energy booster and promotes balanced immune systems. Endurance athletes use it to improve their performance and reduce injury recovery time. Recommended daily dose, is up to 500 mg twice a day. If you have thyroid issues or are pregnant we recommend speaking to a physician before taking herbal medicines.
Using new technologies to enhance ancient medicinal plant bioactives
We conducted some trials using controlled environment agriculture (CEA) methods to grow a number of different ginseng species in order to evaluate growth and root production. Highly concentrated phytonutrients, thought to be responsible for bioactivity (withanolides and withaferin-A) are localized predominantly in the roots of Ashwagandha.
To keep production clean we initiated tissue culture from seed, before transferring to acclimation in hydroponics under LED lights.
We are often bombarded with Ashwagandha ‘gummies’ adverts on social media. In addition to combating stress, there is evidence of neuroprotection against diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and Dementia. It is well documented that the most powerful molecules are found in the roots of Ashwagandha, so growing in CEA makes a lot of sense to keep roots accessible and substrate free. Keeping the roots clean in hydroponics and under LED lights helps the plant thrive and grow faster than it would in natural woodland habitats.
How does Ashwagandha differ from Ginseng?
Ashwagandha is often called Indian ginseng because it exhibits similar effects to ginseng in the body, but it is better known for its calming effects as opposed to ginseng which is used predominantly as a stimulant. Ginseng, like many ayurvedic plants, has had a relatively long history in health circles. Perhaps it fell from grace as a ‘go to’ herbal medicine when Viagra was launched in the late 90s. The truth is there is little evidence to show ginseng exerts a significant effect on men’s sexual health. It does however have other proven health properties, including boosting energy levels and fighting fatigue.
Ginseng belongs there the genus Panax which includes the premium variety, Korean Ginseng (panax ginseng), often called red root, south China Ginseng (panax notoginseng), and American Ginseng (panax quinquefolius). The bioactives in panax are ginsenosides and gintonin. Many other varieties exist in Asian and Russian regions, the most predominant species being Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus). This species does not contain ginsenosides but it is very useful for treating colds, which could prove useful if you live in Siberia.
American Ginseng (panax quinquefolius) grown in tissue culture left and below in aeroponics. We observed ginseng growing well in hydroponic systems which could boost natural production methods, normally reaching maturity in up to 6 years. Despite being a woody plant, (as opposed to Ashwagandha which is more shrub-like) we predict CEA can significantly reduce the time for Ginseng to reach maturity since we observed 3-4ft growth in plants over 3-4 months when grown indoors. Further studies should be undertaken to evaluate the quality of ginsenosides in roots harvested at maturity.
Semi-mature American Panax Ginseng grown in hydroponics over 3-4 months. American Ginseng is well tolerated in the Pacific Northwest and Appalachian regions of North America. It is a vulnerable crop due to historical mass exports (which is now controlled), and habitat loss, with over 14 states and Canada facing extinction. In Ontario and Quebec wild American ginseng is listed as an endangered and threatened species, so perhaps farmers in CEA can do something to change that.
Janet Colston PhD is pharmacologist with an interest in growing ‘functional’ foods that have additional phytonutrients and display medicinal qualities that are beneficial to human health. She grows these using a range of techniques including plant tissue micropropagation and controlled environmental agriculture to ensure the highest quality control.