After neem, turmeric and karela, the latest target of patent hunters across the world is ashwagandha, a wonder plant predominantly found in India, Widely used for its therapeutic value, ashwagandha has been present in ayurvedic formulations for centuries.Now, corporates and researchers from India, US and Japan have focussed their attention on deriving new uses and obtaining patent rights on ashwagandha. The US Patents and Trademarks Office (USPTO) has granted a dozen patents in the last five years on ashwagandha centred findings.