Review on chemistry, pharmacology, toxicity and future prospectives of withaferin A

This is the authors' abstract. We don't add key points for this paper.

The medicinal plant Withania somnifera is widely researched for its antiinflammatory,cardioprotective, and anticancer effects. W. somnifera preparations are specifically used to treat menstruation issues and arthritis in Ayurveda, the main traditional Indian medical system. The bioactive substance withaferin A (WA), a steroidal lactone, was first isolated from the leaves of W. somnifera. Numerous studies showed that WA contains various pharmacological properties, making it a good choice for treating various diseases. Its structural modification targets several signal transduction pathways and improves the effectiveness of treatment for a range of illnesses. We comprehensively reviewed withaferin A and its pharmacological activities against various diseases. Among the most well-studied effects of withaferin A are anticancer properties, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, prostate cancer, lung cancer, colorectal cancer, multiple myeloma, neuroblastoma, leukaemia, and glioblastoma, where WA have shown the potential anticancer effect. The studies demonstrated that WA inhibits the growth and metastasis of several cancer cell lines. The current review thoroughly analyses the pharmacokinetics, biological activities, and changes of several disease targets linked to WA.