Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40875185›Full record

Trial reportAdvances in therapy2025

A New Ashwagandha Formulation (Zenroot™) Alleviates Stress and Anxiety Symptoms While Improving Mood and Sleep Quality: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Clinical Study.

Manasvi Mahadevan, Kumarpillai Gopukumar, Ruchi Gupta, Abhijeet Morde, Paras Patni, Sahitya Sarvamangala Srinivas, Arun Bhuvanendran, Abhijith Phanindra

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Advances in therapy, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Manasvi Mahadevan, Bengaluru Neuro Center # No. 27/5, 10th Cross, 3rd Main, Margosa Road, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560003, India.
Kumarpillai Gopukumar, Bengaluru Neuro Center # No. 27/5, 10th Cross, 3rd Main, Margosa Road, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560003, India.
Ruchi Gupta, Santosh Hospital # 6/1, Promenade Road, Near Coles Park, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560005, India.
Abhijeet MordeOmniActive Health Technologies, Phoenix House, T- 8, A Wing 462 Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400 013, India.
Paras PatniOmniActive Health Technologies, Phoenix House, T- 8, A Wing 462 Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, 400 013, India.
Sahitya Sarvamangala SrinivasInvitro Research Solutions Private Limited, # 22 and 23, Kodigehalli Main Road, Sahakarnagar Post, Hebbal, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560092, India.
Arun BhuvanendranInvitro Research Solutions Private Limited, # 22 and 23, Kodigehalli Main Road, Sahakarnagar Post, Hebbal, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560092, India.
Abhijith PhanindraInvitro Research Solutions Private Limited, # 22 and 23, Kodigehalli Main Road, Sahakarnagar Post, Hebbal, Bengaluru, Karnataka, 560092, India. abhijith@ivrs.org.in.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionProlonged exposure to stress may lead to low mood, anxiety, depression, insomnia, and metabolic disorders. Ashwagandha, an established adaptogen, is known to combat stress. We studied the safety and efficacy of Ashwagandha formulation, Zenroot™ (ZEN), containing 1.5% total withanolides on stress, anxiety, mood, and sleep quality in human subjects with non-chronic mild to moderate stress.

methodsThis was a prospective, randomized, double-blind, parallel, placebo-controlled, clinical interventional study with supplementation duration of 84 days. Ninety subjects were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive 125 mg of ZEN or placebo. We measured stress using the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) score as a primary endpoint. Various secondary endpoints included Mindfield eSense Skin Response (SCR) and Mindfield eSense PULSE Heart Rate Variability (HRV)-Root Mean Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD), and standard deviation of normal NN interval (SDNN), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Profile of Mood States (POMS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), stress biomarkers of serum cortisol, and salivary alpha amylase (sAA) levels and safety parameters. The study assessments were performed on days 0, 14, 28, 56, and 84.

resultsAll 90 randomized subjects completed the study. Mean ± standard error (SE) age of subjects in the ZEN group was 35.5 ± 1.3 years and in the placebo group was 34.5 ± 1.2 years. ZEN 125 mg showed significant (p < 0.05) improvements in PSS, BAI, and PSQI scores on days 28, 56, and 84; SCR on days 14, 28, and 84 and trend (p < 0.1) on day 56; HRV-RMSSD and SDNN on day 14; and POMS on days 56 and 84. No significant differences were observed between the two groups for serum cortisol and sAA. The study product was well tolerated without any safety concerns.

conclusionWe observed significant reductions in both subjective and objective measures of stress with improvement in mood, sleep quality, and occasional anxiety symptoms. ZEN was well tolerated without any related adverse events. Future clinical studies are warranted to evaluate the effect of ZEN on chronically stressed adults. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: http://ctri.nic.in/ Identifier:CTRI/2024/03/063786.

Indexed as

AffectAnxietyPhytotherapyPlant ExtractsSleep QualityStress, PsychologicalAdultDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansHydrocortisoneMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesTreatment OutcomeYoung AdultAshwagandhaHydrocortisonePlant ExtractsAnxietyAshwagandhaMoodSleep qualityStressWithanolidesZenroot™

Identifiers

PMID40875185
PMCPMC12474591

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.