Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), shatavari (Asparagus racemosus) and ginger (Zingiber officinale) are important medicinal herbs. The medicinal properties of these herbs relates to their nutritional composition, and particularly their antioxidant content. However, this varies significantly between plants. For example, shatavari contains 87.5 µg per 100 gram of carotene and 3.7mg per 100 gram vitamin C with 5.78 mg per 100 gram polyphenols giving a free radical scavenging activity of 77.3 %. Ginger contains 76.7 µg per 100 gram carotene 9.2mg per 100 gram vitamin C with 776 mg per 100 gram polyphenols giving a free radical scavenging activity of 73.5 %. In ashwagandha root, the free radical scavenging activity was 67.2 % and this may have resulted from the 19.8 mg per 100 gram of polyphenols. Therefore while each plant provides significant antioxidant potential, they do this with different combinations of nutrients, suggesting that each plant has unique properties that explain their different medicinal uses.
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