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‘Leaf adulteration’ takes the shine off ashwagandha’s gold rush

The odious practice of ‘leaf adulteration’ by unscrupulous ashwagandha suppliers and manufacturers not only misleads customers, but also tarnishes the safety and efficacy profile of this remarkable adaptogen.

Sarah Pursey, Senior Content Editor

October 9, 2024

5 Min Read
‘Leaf adulteration’ takes the shine off ashwagandha’s gold rush
© iStock/eskymaks

Revered for millennia in Ayurvedic medicine, and one of the highest-selling botanicals in key markets like the US, ashwagandha’s natural adaptogenic properties make it a hot ingredient right now. And much of the sector’s growth in recent years can be attributed to the significant science, marketing, and investment drives of best-selling ashwagandha root extract KSM-66.  

According to intelligence from SPINS, ashwagandha continues to lead in the stress management supplement category, racking up over US$72 million in sales for the year up to July 2024 – yet this clearly represents just a fraction of the overall market for India’s ‘King of Herbs’.

Unprecedented consumer interest in ashwagandha has inevitably led to a global surge in demand for the raw material. Regrettably, this ashwagandha ‘gold rush’ has led to less scrupulous extract suppliers and manufacturers cutting their formulations with inferior leaf material and other aerial parts of the plant. The motive behind such behaviour becomes clear with the knowledge that such material can be 50 to 100 times lower than the price of ashwagandha roots per kilogram.

More concerning than the price differential is the divergence in safety and efficacy: In 2021, the Government of India issued an advisory on ashwagandha, recommending use of the roots alone. It advised against using the plant’s leaves for internal consumption, citing insufficient evidence on either their safety or efficacy. Elsewhere, the American Botanical Council has published a monograph on the adulteration of ashwagandha roots by aerial parts.

Rooting out extract adulterants

One published study found an alarming number of ashwagandha root samples were adulterated by aerial parts. Researchers used high-performance liquid chromatography with UV detection (HPLC-UV) to analyse authenticated samples of ashwagandha leaves (n = 5), aerial parts (n = 3), and roots (n = 17), obtained from India and Egypt. Additionally,10 commercial extract samples labelled as ‘derived from the roots’ were analysed for the presence of flavonol glycosides – ie, the markers for adulteration with aerial parts. Shockingly, it was observed that just two of the commercial extract samples did not contain marker compounds, indicating the presence of aerial parts as adulterants in the majority of the ashwagandha root extracts.1

Another study conducted identity testing on 584 commercial raw material samples of root extract using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). The research showed 119 samples (20.4%) were not composed solely of authentic root material, while sample rejection was due to the presence of leaf material in 84 samples (14.0%).2

Truly shocking data was also recently collected by a centre (one of several across India) that facilitates the trading of ashwagandha raw material between farmers, traders, and manufacturers. It indicated over 2,500 tonnes of ashwagandha leaves were sold in the market within just three months. However, the transaction and/or sale of ashwagandha leaves is not reflected in the export data available in the public domain. There also exists a sizeable discrepancy when it comes to ashwagandha products sold on the market globally, with most labelled as ‘ashwagandha root’.

Where are all the leaves going?

On the condition of anonymity, several contract manufacturers in India revealed that most suppliers/manufacturers of extracts procure large amounts of ashwagandha leaf extracts from them at a lower price, and mix/substitute roots with these aerial parts, before labelling them as roots and exporting them at a higher price.

Beyond the obvious illegality, such purported fraudulence also presents clear potential risks to health: Ayurvedic experts and doctors stress that aerial parts were never prescribed to patients for internal consumption due to adverse reactions or side-effects associated with such material. Furthermore, as per the Government of India advisory, there is a paucity of evidence surrounding the effects of ashwagandha leaves and aerial parts on the human body.


Lamentably, such brazen fraudulence has likely resulted in ingestion of inferior leaf material triggering several cases of toxicity and adverse effects – and thus tarnishing the legitimate ashwagandha root extract market.

“We at KSM-66 strongly believe this is all happening because of rampant adulteration in the ashwagandha sector,” noted a spokesperson for the world’s best-selling brand. Indeed, since inception, manufacturer Ixoreal Biomed has been unwavering in its quality assurance commitments to utilising the root – and even then, only higher-grade roots – in its organic formula, which is extracted using a proprietary green chemistry process.

The solution: Testing, testing, and more testing

The most effective (and obvious) solution to tackling this pervasive threat would be to implement rigorous testing. Manufacturers and other stakeholders must test every batch of raw materials for identity testing. As utilised in the aforementioned studies, the techniques of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) offer the means by which to identify plant parts. Such testing will serve to discourage suppliers and manufacturers of extracts from adulterating their ingredients or products.

Another welcome solution – and something currently missing from the picture, according to KSM-66 – would be for the Government of India to lay out strict regulations for the labelling of products exported from India (country of origin) through identification of the plant part.

References
1. Mundkinajeddu D, Sawant LP, Koshy R, et al. ‘Development and validation of high-performance liquid chromatography method for simultaneous estimation of flavonoid glycosides in Withania somnifera aerial parts’. ISRN Analytical Chemistry. March 10, 2014;2014:351547. Doi: 10.1155/2014/351547

2. Singh VK, Mundkinajeddu D, Agarwal A, Nguyen J, Sudberg S, Gafner S, Blumenthal M. Adulteration of ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) roots and extracts. Botanical Adulterants Prevention Bulletin. Austin, TX: ABC-AHP-NCNPR Botanical Adulterants Prevention Program; 2018. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/343862896_Adulteration_of_Ashwagandha_Withania_somnifera_Roots_and_Extracts

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Ashwagandha Chronicles

About the Author

Sarah Pursey

Senior Content Editor, Informa Markets

Sarah Pursey is Senior Content Editor. Having amassed over 15 years’ experience across the international B2B editorial space, and formerly Director of an F&B trade publication business, Sarah highlights the oft-inspiring journeys behind successful brands and breakthrough innovations. Through a commercial lens, her passion lies in championing developments that drive down waste, enhance nutritional outcomes, and advance equitable growth.

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