New Vistas for Withania somnifera in Signal Transduction of Inflammation and Aging

Abstract

Aging in humans is a multidimensional complexity featured by systematic chronic inflammation and further accompanied by organ dysfunction, gut dysbiosis, immune senescence, and age-related diseases. Chronic inflammation in cells relates to secretory factors like the senescence-associated secretory phenotype which induces senescence in normal cells. Simultaneously, immune senescence is promoted by chronic inflammation, resulting in an impaired immune system unable to clear out senescent cells and inflammatory factors. Long term accumulation of elevated inflammatory factors in cells causes organ damage and leads to other age-related disorders. Eliminating inflammation could be a viable anti-aging strategy since it has been identified as an endogenous component in aging. Lately, products of natural origin have been gaining attention in combating age-related diseases and chronic inflammation. Various in vitro, in vivo, and clinical studies have well documented the role of Withania somnifera (WS) in alleviating inflammation and aging in cells by mediating several cellular signaling pathways. This review discusses the features and mechanisms of inflammation and aging (inflammaging) and the modulation of key associated pathways by WS, examining its role as a promising candidate for future strategies against inflammaging.