Current and future prospectus of Withania somnifera L.: An overview

Withania somnifera (L.) is one of the most important medicinal crops used as an immunity booster and also known as Indian ginseng due to its potential to relax the mind, relieve stress and exhaustion, improve sexual energy, and reduce insomnia. During the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, traditional herbal remedies were recommended for better prevention at different stages of diseases because of their previous promising results against influenza A (H1N1) or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-1 (SARS-CoV-1). The plant’s dried powder and crude extract contain secondary metabolites that possess promising pharmacological properties, including antidepressant, rejuvenating, regenerating, anticancer, antiarthritic, and other human illness-fighting properties. Major secondary metabolites, including withanolides and withaferin-A, are responsible for facilitating the validation of medicinal potential derived from W. somnifera. With the realization of several clinical traits and growing demands in the world market, it encourages the farmers to increase the production of W. somnifera, improve its quality, and increase biologically active compounds in the crop. The present comprehensive review highlights some of the therapeutic potential, metabolic components, opportunities, and future prospects of Withania somnifera in agriculture sectors for the enhancement of farmers’ income as well as to minimize the gap between demand and supply of Withania.