https://doi.org/10.37229/fsa.fjas.2026.07.05

This study aimed to evaluate the peripheral and central analgesic activity of standardized Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) root extract in capsule form using established animal models. Sixteen adult male Swiss albino mice (20–30 g) were randomly assigned to four groups per test (n=4). The acetic acid-induced writhing test (peripheral analgesia) and hot plate test (central analgesia at 55±0.5°C) were employed. Treatments included: control (distilled water), standard (diclofenac sodium 4 mg/kg for writhing; tramadol 40 mg/kg for hot plate), and Ashwagandha capsules at 200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg orally. Writhing episodes and latency times were recorded, and data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA followed by LSD test, he most important findings in the acetic acid-induced writhing test, Ashwagandha produced a dose-dependent reduction in writhing (19% at 200 mg/kg; 36% at 400 mg/kg), but this effect was not statistically significant compared to control (p>0.05). Diclofenac significantly inhibited writhing by 63% (p=0.0281). In the hot plate test, Ashwagandha showed negligible central analgesic activity, with maximum possible effect (MPE) values of only 3% (200 mg/kg) and 5% (400 mg/kg), compared to 52% for tramadol. From these results it is clear that Ashwagandha root extract exhibited weak, non-significant peripheral analgesic activity and no meaningful central analgesic effect in acute thermal pain models. These findings suggest that Ashwagandha does not act through classical opioid pathways, and its reported CNS benefits (anxiolytic, neuroprotective) likely involve non-opioid mechanisms that may not translate to acute pain relief.