{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T09:55:46Z","timestamp":1791194146202,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"Wiley","issue":"10","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1791158400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":4,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,1]],"date-time":"2026-10-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1790812800000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/doi.wiley.com\/10.1002\/tdm_license_1.1"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["onlinelibrary.wiley.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Food Science &amp;amp; Nutrition"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>ABSTRACT<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:p>\n                    Ashwagandha (\n                    <jats:styled-content style=\"fixed-case\">\n                      <jats:italic>Withania somnifera<\/jats:italic>\n                    <\/jats:styled-content>\n                    ) is a key herbal product traditionally used as a root\u2010based rejuvenative. Leaf and whole\u2010plant preparations have also become increasingly available, for which dedicated safety characterization remains limited. European risk assessments and the Danish ban have raised safety concerns for \u201cashwagandha\u201d without consistently distinguishing plant parts. We conducted a structured narrative review with a regulatory focus, integrating traditional sources, phytochemical and pharmacologic studies, human clinical trials, pharmacovigilance data, quality\/adulteration investigations, and national and international risk assessments. Electronic databases and gray literature sources (including AYUSH, DTU, RIVM, and FSA) were searched through 31 March 2026, and evidence was synthesized qualitatively along the axes of traditional use, phytochemistry, efficacy, safety, quality and regulation, explicitly contrasting root and leaf. Root consistently shows a profile dominated by withanolide A, D, and glycol\u2010withanolides, whereas leaf is richer in withaferin A and related electrophilic withanolides. Multiple randomized controlled trials and a 12\u2010month study of standardized root extracts demonstrate clinically relevant reductions in stress, anxiety, and insomnia, with generally favorable safety and no reproducible serious organ toxicity. Human data for leaf are sparse and confounded, while preclinical leaf studies emphasize the high withaferin A content and anticancer and immunomodulatory effects and theoretical toxicity concerns. European risk opinions have extrapolated mixed plant\u2010part data to all ashwagandha preparations, even as analytical surveys document adulteration of root materials with leaves and stems. Current evidence supports greater confidence in authenticated, standardized root preparations for systemic use, while evidence for leaf remains limited and requires indication\u2010specific development and dedicated safety evaluation. These findings support plant\u2010part specificity in regulatory frameworks, including analytical authentication to detect leaf adulteration, plant\u2010part\u2010 and product\u2010specific risk assessment, and re\u2010assessment of plant\u2010part\u2010agnostic safety conclusions as higher\u2010quality evidence emerges. Future research should prioritize comparative trials of root versus leaf and whole\u2010plant extracts and long\u2010term safety studies of standardized leaf preparations.\n                  <\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.1002\/fsn3.72364","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T09:38:09Z","timestamp":1791193089000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Plant Part\u2013Specific Differences in Ashwagandha (\n                    <i>Withania somnifera<\/i>\n                    ): A Comparative Evaluation of Root and Leaf Evidence for Safety and Regulation"],"prefix":"10.1002","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1864-0685","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Abhijit","family":"Dutta","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Ministry of Ayush (Government of India)  New Delhi India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6107-3129","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jang Bahadur","family":"Gupta","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"World Ashwagandha Council  New Delhi India"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"311","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]]},"reference":[{"key":"e_1_2_14_2_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/ptr.7598"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_3_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jep.2020.112725"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_4_1","unstructured":"ANSES.2024.\u201cAVIS de l'Anses relatif aux risques li\u00e9s \u00e0 l'utilisation des pr\u00e9parations de Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal dans les compl\u00e9ments alimentaires.\u201d"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_5_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.explore.2024.103062"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_6_1","first-page":"50","article-title":"A Standardized \n                     Withania somnifera\n                   Extract Significantly Reduces Stress\u2010Related Parameters in Chronically Stressed Humans: A Double\u2010Blind, Randomized, Placebo\u2010Controlled Study","volume":"11","author":"Auddy B.","year":"2008","journal-title":"Journal of the American Nutraceutical Association"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_7_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fphar.2023.1049334"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_8_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"343","DOI":"10.1016\/B978-0-443-15383-9.00015-9","volume-title":"Herb. Formul. Phytochem. Pharmacogn","author":"Beladiya U.","year":"2024"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_9_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.4103\/ijar.ijar_192_24"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_10_1","unstructured":"BfR.2024.\u201cAshwagandha: Food Supplements With Potential Health Risks.\u201d"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_11_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.5530\/097484900286"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_12_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ph16081129"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_13_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Brendler T. R.Al\u2010Mondhiry L.Lang R.Marles M.Tallon andA.Raghu. n.d.\u201cAshwagandha: Is It Safe? Part 1: A Regulatory Review.\u201dhttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/ptr.70151.","DOI":"10.1002\/ptr.70151"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_14_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/pca.1029"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_15_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1371\/journal.pone.0257843"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_16_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.jep.2024.117871"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_17_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s00018\u2010015\u20102012\u20101"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_18_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/nu15245015"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_19_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms20215310"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_20_1","unstructured":"EMA.2011.\u201cWithaniae Somniferae Radix \u2010 Herbal Medicinal Product | European Medicines Agency (EMA).\u201dhttps:\/\/www.ema.europa.eu\/en\/medicines\/herbal\/withaniae\u2010somniferae\u2010radix."},{"key":"e_1_2_14_21_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1002\/hup.2911"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_22_1","unstructured":"FSA.2024.\u201cAshwagandha | Food Standards Agency.\u201dhttps:\/\/www.food.gov.uk\/news\u2010alerts\/consultations\/ashwagandha."},{"key":"e_1_2_14_23_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1007\/s13668\u2010023\u201000481\u20100"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_24_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3389\/fnut.2024.1439294"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_25_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/15347354251410182"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_26_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1201\/9781032705743","volume-title":"Ashwagandha for Quality of Life: Scientific Evidence","author":"Kaul S.","year":"2024"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_27_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","DOI":"10.1007\/978-3-319-59192-6","volume-title":"Science of Ashwagandha: Preventive and Therapeutic Potentials","author":"Kaul S. 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M.Wierer M.Himmelsbach B.Schatzmann B.Thalhamer andC. W.Klampfl. n.d.\u201cDetermination of Withanolides and Withanosides in Ashwagandha Based Products Using HPLC\u2010Drift\u2010Tube\u2010Ion\u2010Mobility Quadrupole Time\u2010of\u2010Flight Mass Spectrometry.\u201dhttps:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/elps.202400188.","DOI":"10.1002\/elps.202400188"},{"key":"e_1_2_14_56_1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.3390\/nu10111807"}],"container-title":["Food Science &amp; Nutrition"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/fsn3.72364","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/full-xml\/10.1002\/fsn3.72364","content-type":"application\/xml","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/pdf\/10.1002\/fsn3.72364","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,5]],"date-time":"2026-10-05T09:38:14Z","timestamp":1791193094000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/onlinelibrary.wiley.com\/doi\/10.1002\/fsn3.72364"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"references-count":55,"journal-issue":{"issue":"10","published-print":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]}},"alternative-id":["10.1002\/fsn3.72364"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1002\/fsn3.72364","archive":["Portico"],"relation":{},"ISSN":["2048-7177","2048-7177"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2048-7177","type":"print"},{"value":"2048-7177","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,10]]},"assertion":[{"value":"2026-06-09","order":0,"name":"received","label":"Received","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-09-03","order":2,"name":"accepted","label":"Accepted","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}},{"value":"2026-10-05","order":3,"name":"published","label":"Published","group":{"name":"publication_history","label":"Publication History"}}],"article-number":"e72364"}}