In vitro Antioxidant and Antimicrobial Potential of Withania somnifera Root Extracts and Their Phytochemical Correlation

Ashwagandha, or Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, is a well-known medicinal plant that is widely utilised in traditional medicine due to its antibacterial, adaptogenic, and antioxidant qualities. The goal of the current study was to assess the antibacterial and antioxidant properties of several solvent extracts of W. somnifera roots in vitro and to establish a relationship between these properties and their phytochemical makeup. Aqueous solution, methanol, and ethanol were used in making root extracts. The phytochemical screening identified alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolic, saponins, and withanolides from the root extract. Antioxidant tests include ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), DPPH radical scavenging tests. The agar well diffusion method was utilised to demonstrate the antimicrobial activity of the effective compounds on certain strains of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. With a significant relation to the total phenolic/flavonoid content, methanolic root extracts displayed the most potent antioxidant and antibacterial activity. The study validates the potential of the roots of the W. somnifera as a natural reservoir of potent chemicals for the pharmaceutical industry.