Antihyperammonemic Effect of Withania Somnifera on Ammonium Chloride Induced Wistar Rats

The present study was undertaken to investigate the antihyperammonemic efficacy of Withania somnifera root, which has been used in Indian traditional medicine for many centuries. We studied the effect of oral administration of powdered root of W. somnifera (500 mg/kg; b.wt) on blood ammonia, plasma urea, uric acid, non-protein nitrogen and serum creatinine in control and ammonium chloride (AC) induced hyperammonemic rats. The levels of circulatory ammonia, urea, uric acid, non-protein nitrogen and creatinine decreased significantly in rats treated with W. somnifera and AC. These studies indicate that powdered root of W. somnifera may offer protection against AC induced hyperammonemia. The antihyperammonemic effect of W. somnifera may be due to (i) the presence of alkaloids, withanolids and flavonoids, (ii) normalizing the levels of urea and urea related compounds, (iii) its free radical scavenging property and (iv) its antioxidant property. The exact underlying mechanism is still unclear and further research needed.