ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program
Publishes Ashwagandha Root and Root Extract Bulletin
Bulletin emphasizes the issue of undeclared
addition of ashwagandha leaf materials to ashwagandha root products
AUSTIN, Texas (January
15, 2019) — The ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program (BAPP) has
released a Botanical
Adulterants Prevention Bulletin on ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) root and root extract. The
powdered roots of ashwagandha, a member of the nightshade (Solanaceae) plant
family, have a long history of use in Ayurvedic medicine, an ancient traditional
medicine system in India, for a wide array of purposes—to treat inflammatory
disorders, as an adaptogen for its immunomodulatory effects, to invigorate and
strengthen the body, and to improve sexual stamina.
Ashwagandha is one of the most popular Ayurvedic herbs in the United States. It
was the sixth top-selling dietary supplement in natural retail stores in 2017, with
sales totaling roughly $10.6 million, a 25.6% increase from the previous year,
according to the HerbalGram 2017
Herb Market Report. Mainstream sales of ashwagandha supplements grew by
more than 67% during the same period.
Various reports have
described the addition of undeclared material from ashwagandha aerial parts (i.e.,
plant leaves and/or stems) to ingredients and products labeled to contain only
ashwagandha root powders or root extracts. Aerial parts are typically available
at a lower cost and contain some of the same types of chemicals (known as withanolides)
as the roots.
The bulletin is a
collaborative effort among Natural Remedies Private Limited (Bengaluru, India),
Alkemist Labs (Garden Grove, California), and other members of BAPP. It summarizes
the published data on ashwagandha adulteration, supply sources, market
importance, and analytical methods to detect adulteration. Seventeen experts in
quality control of medicinal plants from academia, government, and the herb
industry provided input on the bulletin during the peer-review process.
“The inappropriate and unethical practice of increasing the amount of
withanolides in ashwagandha root powder and extract by adding undisclosed, lower-cost
dry leaf material and/or its extracts has been confirmed,” said Mark Blumenthal,
founder and executive director of the American Botanical Council (ABC) and
founder and director of BAPP.
“This type of
adulteration will fool only those companies and laboratories that do not use adequate
analytical efforts to properly test their ashwagandha materials,” he added. “A
robust analytical methodology, such as high-performance thin-layer
chromatography (HPTLC), or other methods that can provide the chemical
fingerprint of withanolides, can determine if additional withanolides from undeclared
leaf material are present in the analyzed sample.
“We are aware of
numerous companies that provide various types of authentic ashwagandha root raw
materials and extracts,” Blumenthal continued. “As we have done with respect to
the adulteration of other popular botanical raw materials and extracts, our
intention is to advise members of industry of the confirmed adulteration of
some ashwagandha raw materials and extracts and for industry quality control
laboratories to be doubly aware of the need for appropriate testing to
authenticate the materials.”
Stefan Gafner, PhD,
chief science officer of ABC and technical director of BAPP, commented: “Herbal
ingredients that have a history of use in Indian traditional medicine systems,
and for which their benefits are supported by multiple clinical trials, have
seen some of the highest sales increases in the United States in recent years.
At the same time, these ingredients — which include boswellia (Indian frankincense;
Boswellia serrata), turmeric (Curcuma longa), and ashwagandha, among
others — reportedly have been subject to adulteration by unscrupulous
suppliers. This supports the idea that there are clear links among market
success, supply shortages, and adulteration.”
Blumenthal added: “A
key factor in adulteration is concealment. If a manufacturer
chooses to openly combine ashwagandha root and leaf extracts into proprietary
botanical products, this is appropriate so long as the labeling is transparent.
Such a clearly labeled ingredient or product is not within the scope of this
bulletin.”
The ashwagandha
bulletin is the 17th publication in the series of Botanical Adulterants Prevention
Bulletins and the 48th peer-reviewed publication published by BAPP. The goal of
the Botanical Adulterants Prevention Bulletins is to provide accounts of
ongoing issues related to botanical identity and adulteration, thus allowing
quality control personnel and lab technicians in the herbal medicine, botanical
ingredient, dietary supplement, cosmetic, herbal tea, conventional food, and
other industries where botanical ingredients are used to be informed on
adulteration problems that are apparently widespread and/or imply safety
concerns.
About the ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program
The ABC-American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (AHP)-National Center for Natural
Products Research (NCNPR) Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program is an international
consortium of nonprofit professional organizations, analytical laboratories,
research centers, industry trade associations, industry members, and other
parties with an interest in herbs and medicinal plants. The program advises
industry members, researchers, health professionals, government agencies, the
media, and the public about the various challenges related to adulterated
botanical ingredients sold in commerce. To date, more than 200 US and
international parties have financially supported or otherwise endorsed the
program.
To date, the program has published 48 peer-reviewed articles, Botanical
Adulterants Prevention Bulletins, Laboratory Guidance Documents, and Botanical
Adulterants Monitor e-newsletters. All of the program’s publications are freely
available on the program’s website (registration required).