Traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of genus Vitex (Lamiaceae)

Abstract

Vitex, the genus of the family Lamiaceae, comprises of about 230 species mostly distributed in the warm regions of Europe and temperate regions of Asia. Several Vitex species have been used as folk medicine in different countries for the treatment of various kinds of diseases and ailments. The main aim of this review is to collect and analyze the scientific information available about the Vitex species regarding their chemical constituents and pharmacological activities. The phytochemical investigation of various Vitex species has resulted in the isolation of about 556 chemical constituents belong to various chemical category viz. iridoids, diterpenoids, triterpenoids, flavonoids, lignans, sesquiterpenoids, monoterpenoids, ecdysteroids, and others. The crude extracts of different Vitex species as well as pure phytochemicals exhibited a wide spectrum of in-vitro and in-vivo pharmacological activities. In the present review, the scientific literature data on the ethnopharmacological, phytochemical, and pharmacological investigations on the genus Vitex are summarized. More attention should be given in future research to evaluate the pharmacological potential with detailed mechanism of actions for the pure compounds, extracts of plants from this genus.Moreover, their clinical study is needed to justify their use in modern medicine and to further exploring this genus for new drug discovery.

The mechanisms underlying the role of Vitex agnus-castus in mastalgia

“…VAC is a perennial, deciduous, grey-felted shrub or rarely a small tree, which is widely distributed in numerous parts of the world. VAC is native mainly to the Mediterranean region and southern Europe in general, as well as to western Asia (1), but it is also widely cultivated for medicinal use and as an ornamental plant. VAC is approximately 1-6 m in height with a strong aromatic odor.…”

“…It is properly adapted to a wide range of soil types and is best in dry and moist habitats, but not wet conditions. VAC can grow, and it does best in places with full sun or partial shade (1)(2)(3).…”

“…Vitex agnus-castus has been used for over 2500 years and is shown to be widely used and primarily effective in reducing symptoms of numerous gynecological problems. The use of Vitex in herbal medicine could be traced back even to Hippocrates' time (over 2,500 years ago) for the treatment of gynecologic disorders (1,2).…”

“…Medicinal plants have been used for the treatment of certain diseases for a long time in human history. Thousands of plant species worldwide are reported to have medicinal properties (1)(2)(3)(4)(5). These plants are still in use as part of alternative medicine.…”

“…These plants are still in use as part of alternative medicine. They are also important sources for extracting many active compounds that can be used in certain therapies (1).…”