Phytochemical and Biological Evaluation of Vitex Negundo Linn: a Review

Vitex negundo Linn. belong to family Verbenaceae. It is an important medicinal plant. Literature survey of V. negundo revealed the presence of different classes of natural products including essential oil, triterpenes, diterpenes, sesquiterpenes, lignan, flavonoids, flavones glycosides, iridoid glycosides, and stilbene derivative. The plant is traditionally reported for its use for the treatment of cough, asthma, fever, eye disease, inflammation, intestinal worms, skin diseases, nervous disorders, leprosy and rheumatism. Roots are tonic, anodyne, febrifuge, bechic, expectorant and diuretic. This review is short review of last two years reporting the natural products isolated and biological potential of Vitex negundo Linn. INTRODUCTION: Vitex negundo Linn. (Verbenaceae), locally known as ‘Nirgundi’ an important medicinal plant, Vitex negundo Linn. is a woody, aromatic deciduous shrub growing to a small tree. It is an erect, 2-5 m in height, slender tree with quadrangular branchlets. The leaves have five leaflets in a palmately arrangement, which are lanceolate, 4-10 cm long, hairy beneath and pointed at both ends 2, . It thrives in humid places or along water courses in wastelands and mixed open forests and has been reported to occur in Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, eastern Africa and Madagascar. It is grown commercially as a crop in parts of Asia, Europe, North America and West Indies, also finds use as a food crop and a source of timber .