[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-detail-86609-en":3,"doc-seo-86609-105":30,"detail-sidebar-cat-0-en-105":92},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"success",{"doc_id":7,"user_id":8,"nickname":9,"user_avatar":10,"doc_module":4,"category_id":11,"category_name":12,"doc_title":13,"doc_description":14,"doc_content":15,"file_id":16,"file_url":17,"file_type":18,"file_size":19,"view_count":20,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":21,"is_downloadable":21,"audit_status":21,"page_count":22,"language":23,"language_code":24,"site_id":25,"html_lang":24,"table_of_contents":26,"faqs":27,"seo_title":13,"seo_description":14,"update_tm":28,"read_time":29},86609,962075006959,"Anda","https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/avatar/e0002397efbe92a78e?_k=1776741047341049297",8,"Research & Report","A Systematic and Ethnobotanical Review of Ashwagandha's Teratogenic and Abortifacient Potentials","Withania somnifera (L.) Dunal, commonly known as ashwagandha, is widely used in Ayurvedic medicine and studied in Western research for adaptogenic effects, including sleep and stress management. Reports attributed to the World Health Organization and regulatory bodies raise concerns about teratogenic and abortifacient activity. This systematic, ethnobotanical review evaluates toxicokinetics, toxicodynamics, and available safety evidence using PRISMA-guided literature appraisal, including reproductive-toxicity data and molecular interactions.","Phytotherapy Research  \nREVIEW  \nA Systematic and Ethnobotanical Review of Ashwagandha's ( Withania Somnifera) Teratogenic and Abortifacient Potentials  \nMark J. Tallon1  | Igor Koturbash2  | Jason L. Blum3  \n1Legal Products Group Ltd, Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK | 2Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Center for Dietary Supplements Research, Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA | 3Product Safety Labs, Langone Health Grossman School of Medicine, Division of Environmental Medicine, New York City, New York, USA  \nCorrespondence: Mark J. Tallon ([drtallon@legalproductsgroup.com](drtallon@legalproductsgroup.com))  \nReceived: 6 June 2025 | Revised: 29 July 2025 | Accepted: 19 August 2025  \nFunding: The authors received no specific funding for this work.  \nKeywords: abortifacient | ashwagandha | botanical safety | teratogenic | Withania somnifera  \nABSTRACT  \nWithania somnifera (L.) Dunal, commonly known as ashwagandha, has been widely used in Ayurvedic medicine for its adaptogenic properties and therapeutic potential and has been investigated for its benefits related to sleep and stress management by Western medicine. However, concerns regarding its teratogenic and abortifacient effects have emerged following reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and regulatory bodies. This systematic and ethnobotanical review critically evaluates these claims by assessing ashwagandha's toxicokinetics, toxicodynamics, and available safety data. A comprehensive literature review following PRISMA guidelines was conducted to identify studies on its reproductive toxicity, molecular interactions, and traditional usage. Historical ethnobotanical reports suggest potential abortifacient effects, but citation distortion and lack of primary source validation raise concerns regarding the validity of such claims. Toxicological studies in animal models demonstrate high tolerability, with no significant reproductive toxicity observed at doses relevant to human consumption. Human clinical studies also show no adverse effects on thyroid function, hormonal balance, or reproductive health. Altogether, evidence supporting significant teratogenic or abortifacient activity remains inconclusive. This review highlights the need for standardized, high-quality research addressing fertility and developmental outcomes in controlled conditions. Given the widespread use of ashwagandha as a dietary supplement ingredient and traditional medicine, a balanced and evidence-based approach is required to assess its safety, ensuring that regulatory actions are informed by robust scientific data rather than historical speculation.  \n1 | Introduction  \nWithania somnifera (L.) Dunal, Solanaceae, commonly known as ashwagandha or Indian Ginseng, has been cultivated  \nin dry regions of India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and China for over 3000 years. For centuries, it has played a central role in Ayurveda, where it has been used as a “Rasayana” or rejuvenating tonic. Indeed, in Indian Traditional Systems of Medicine,  \n\n| Abbreviations: ADME, absorption, distribution, metabolism and excretion; ADR, adverse event reporting; AHP, American Herbal Pharmacopeia; AWE, ashwagandha water extract; ChEMBL, Chemogenomic European Molecular Biology Laboratory; EMBASE0, Excerpta Medica dataBASE; GRAS, generally recognized as safe; ICH, International Council for Harmonization; NOAEL, no observed adverse effect level; OECD, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development; P450, Cytochrome P450; PICO, patients, intervention, comparison, outcome; PRISMA, preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses; STRING, search tool for the retrieval of interacting genes/proteins; WHO, World Health Organization. |\n| --- |\n| © 2025 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. |\n\nPhytotherapy Research, 2025; 0:1–22 1  \n[https://doi.org/10.1002/ptr.700","cbCailhNoL915xm5","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCailhNoL915xm5","pdf",601868,5,1,22,"English","en",105,"# Introduction\n## Review Scope and Background\n# Methods\n## PRISMA-Based Literature Review\n# Evidence Synthesis\n## Ethnobotanical Claims and Source Validity\n## Toxicology and Toxicokinetics\n## Human Clinical Safety Data\n# Discussion\n## Evidence Gaps and Need for Standardized Research","[{\"question\":\"What safety concerns does this review address regarding ashwagandha?\",\"answer\":\"The review focuses on potential teratogenic and abortifacient effects and examines why regulatory and WHO-related concerns have been raised.\"},{\"question\":\"How was the evidence gathered in this systematic review?\",\"answer\":\"A comprehensive literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines to identify studies relevant to reproductive toxicity, molecular interactions, and traditional usage.\"},{\"question\":\"What does the review conclude about teratogenic or abortifacient activity?\",\"answer\":\"Evidence supporting significant teratogenic or abortifacient activity remains inconclusive; animal studies show high tolerability without significant reproductive toxicity at human-relevant doses, and human clinical studies report no adverse effects on thyroid function, hormones, or reproductive health.\"}]",1784236165,55,{"code":4,"msg":31,"data":32},"ok",{"site_id":25,"language":24,"slug":33,"title":13,"keywords":34,"description":14,"schema_data":35,"social_meta":87,"head_meta":89,"extra_data":91,"updated_unix":28},"a-systematic-and-ethnobotanical-review-of-ashwagandhas-teratogenic-and-abortifacient-potentials","",{"@graph":36,"@context":86},[37,54,69],{"@type":38,"itemListElement":39},"BreadcrumbList",[40,44,48,51],{"item":41,"name":42,"@type":43,"position":21},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":45,"name":46,"@type":43,"position":47},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/","Document",2,{"item":49,"name":12,"@type":43,"position":50},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/research-report/",3,{"item":52,"name":13,"@type":43,"position":53},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/a-systematic-and-ethnobotanical-review-of-ashwagandhas-teratogenic-and-abortifacient-potentials/86609/",4,{"url":52,"name":13,"@type":55,"author":56,"headline":13,"publisher":58,"fileFormat":61,"inLanguage":24,"description":14,"dateModified":62,"datePublished":63,"encodingFormat":61,"isAccessibleForFree":64,"interactionStatistic":65},"DigitalDocument",{"name":9,"@type":57},"Person",{"url":41,"name":59,"@type":60},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-07-30","2026-07-16",true,{"@type":66,"interactionType":67,"userInteractionCount":20},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":68},"ViewAction",{"@type":70,"mainEntity":71},"FAQPage",[72,78,82],{"name":73,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":75},"What safety concerns does this review address regarding ashwagandha?","Question",{"text":76,"@type":77},"The review focuses on potential teratogenic and abortifacient effects and examines why regulatory and WHO-related concerns have been raised.","Answer",{"name":79,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":80},"How was the evidence gathered in this systematic review?",{"text":81,"@type":77},"A comprehensive literature review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines to identify studies relevant to reproductive toxicity, molecular interactions, and traditional usage.",{"name":83,"@type":74,"acceptedAnswer":84},"What does the review conclude about teratogenic or abortifacient activity?",{"text":85,"@type":77},"Evidence supporting significant teratogenic or abortifacient activity remains inconclusive; 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