Review on Phytochemical and Pharmacological properties of Vitex trifolia linn

Dhanya Rajan*,J. Suresh, N. Paramakrishnan, A. Sri Vasavi Reddy, M Nayeem

Department of Pharmacognosy, JSS College of Pharmacy, JSS University, SS Nagar, Mysore-570015, Karnataka

ABSTRACT:

Vitex trifolia Linn. belonging to the family of Verbenaceae is distributed throughout India in tropical and subtropical regions and has been used by the tribal people for various disorders in traditional and folk medicine. Height of the plant 1-3.5 meter. Flowers are appearing in summer or late summer, and 6-12 inch long. The preliminary phytochemical screening of various extracts of leaf revealed the presence of various phytoconstituents like carbohydrates, flavanoids, proteins, aminoacids, tannins, phytosterols, saponins essential oils, halimane type diterpenes, vitetrifolins .The plant is a component of a number of commercially available herbal formulations and has also shown potential as an effective bio-control agent. Leaves are considered as antiseptic, aromatic, febrifuge, anodyne, diuretic, emmenagogue and fruit as nervine, cephalic, emmenagogue, anthelmintic. Roots are used to treat febrifuge, painful inflammations, cough and fever. Flowers are used in treating fever and fruits in amenorrhoea The plant is known to possess various active constituents like carbohydrate, phenolic compounds, flavonoids, protein and amino acids, tannins, phytosterols and saponins The plant has been screened for the trypanocidal, antioxidant hepatoprotective, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antimicrobial, tracheospasmolytic anticancer, antimitotic and wound healing activity. The present review is therefore, an effort to give a detailed survey of the literature on the phytochemical and pharmacological properties of Vitex trifolia

KEY WORDS: wound healing, anti inflammatory, haemostatic, Eupatorium odoratum

INTRODUCTION:

Vitex trifolia Linn. belonging to the family of Verbenaceae is commonly known as chaste tree (English), Nirnochi (Tamil) and jalanirgundi (Sanskrit) (fig1). Vitex trifolia is a shrub or small tree growing from 1 to 4 meters high, sometimes prostate or ascending in habit. Flowers are appearing in summer or late summer, and 6-12 inch long. Vitex trifolia is a large coastal shrub or small tree, less than 5 m in height with the stems covered by soft hairs (tomentose). Vitex trifolia L. has been used as an anti-inflammatory and sedative for headache, rheumatism and the common cold in Asian countries¹.

VERNACULAR NAMES:

 Cook Islands - rara

 Tonga - lalatahi

 Samoa - namulega

 India:

 Sanskrit - Jalanirgundi; Sindhuka; Surasa; Vrikshaha

 Hindi - Nichinda; Panikisanbhalu; Sufed-sanbhalu

 Bengali - Paniki-shumbala; Pani-samalu

 Kannada - Nira-lakki-gida

 Malayalam - Lagondi; Nirnoschi

 Tamil - Nirnochchi; Shirunoch-chi

§ Telugu - Niruvavili; Shiruvavi

 Indonesia

 Indonesian - Legundi

 Bugi - Lawarani

TAXONOMY

Kingdom Plantae

Division Angiosperms

Class Eudicots

(Unranked) Asterids

Order lamiales

Family lamiaceae,verbeniaceae

Genus Vitex

Species V.trifolia

Binomial name Vitex trifolia

HABIT AND HABITAT

Grows on sand, coral, pumice gravel or shale. It is occasionally found in clay over limestone but this is rare. It also grows on beaches and along the inland edge of mangrove swamps, in grasslands and in forest and secondary vegetations. It is often found near watercourses².

CULTIVATION

Vitex trifolia grow well on exposed coastal sand dunes. It likes moist, fertile, well-drained soils. Water well in the summer and avoid the extremes of soil moisture, neither drought nor water logging. If propagating seeds, sow freshly collected seed in a mix of sand and coir. If propagating by cuttings, take them when the plants are not in flower or fruit (apical cuttings with at least two nodes). Cuttings should be rooted in a well-drained rooting medium such as perlite and coir under mist².

PHARMACOGNOSTICAL STUDIES

MACROSCOPIC EVALUATION

The leaves are oppositely arranged along the stems and are usually compound, composed of 3 linear leaflets which range between 1 –12 cm in length. The upper surface of the leaves is green and the lower surface grayish green. Leaves are variable, some simple and some three foliolate; leaflets elliptic or oblongobovate, usually obtuse, the terminal leaflet sessile, 5-6.3 by 2.5-3.8 cm the lateral smaller, sessile, all glabrous above, very densely white-tomentose beneath, base tapering; common petioles 1.3-1.6 cm long. The leaves are dark green in colour and bitter taste. (fig 1)

The flowers are born in panicles or clusters up to 18 cm in length. Individual flowers have purple to violet two-lipped corollas that are approximately 5 mm long. The stamen are in two pairs and the ovary is superior, or develops above the corolla. The fleshy fruits are about 6 mm in diameter and contain 4 small black seeds. Corolla is hairy, lavender to blue. Tube is about 8 mm long, the larger central love of the lower lip has a white blotch at the base; limb is 12 mm in the greatest diameter. Fruit is rounded, 4 to 5 mm in diameter.

Fig. 1. The Leaves of Vitex trifolia

MICROSCOPIC EVALUATION

Leaflet: [Fig 2]

The leaflet has smooth and even adaxial surface and densely pubescent uneven abaxial side.It is 140 μm thick along the ridged part of the leaflet and 120 μm thick in between the ridges.The adaxial epidermis is thick and prominent; the epidermal cells are rectangular and tangentially oblong, fairly thick walled and have thin cuticle. These are a sub epidermal layer of dilated and hyaline squarish or cylindrical cells. The epidermal layer is 10 μm thick; the hypodermal layer is 15μm thick. The abaxial epidermis is narrow with thin walled cylindrical cells. They bear dense non glandular trichomes. The mesophyll consists of four layers of vertically elongated narrow cylindrical cells. The height of these cells is more along the firstrow and the height is reduced gradually towards the lower part. All these cells are palisade; and spongy parenchyma cells are not evident.

FIGURE 2: T.S of Lamina through Lateral Vein under Low Magnification

Anatomy of the Lamina:

The midrib is thick, projecting prominantly on the abaxial side with a short and wide adaxial hump. The epidermal layer is a narrow with small cells. The ground tissue of the midrib consists of circular thin walled compact parenchyma cells. The vascular system of the midrib has a median, wide arc-shaped strand and a group of adaxial accessory strands (Fig3). The median arc of vascular strand consists of several parallel rows of xylem elements with narrow parenchymatous space in between the xylem rows. In each row of xylem, these are about six cells which are angular and thick walled .The adaxial accessory bundles are circular and collateral. The strand has a small group of xylem elements and wide zone of phloem.

FIGURE 3:T.S of Leaf through Midrib with Lamina

[AbB – Abaxial Bundle; AbS – Abaxial Side; AdB – Adaxial Bundle; AdH – Adaxial Hump;

Ep-Epidermis; GT – Ground Tissue; Ph – Phloem; X – Xylem].

Anatomy of the Midrib:

Venation.

The venation pattern of the lamina shows uniformly thin and straight lateral veins. The veins are covered by hyaline parenchymatous bundle sheath cells (Fig4). The vein-islets are not well defined; they are open and not distinct. The vein-terminations are distinct; they are long, slender, straight or slightly bend and un branched. Stomata are located in the furrows of the abaxial epidermis. They are circular and are anomocytic type³.

FIGURE 4: Paradermal Section Showing Vein- Islets and Vein-termination

USES

Plant pacifies vitiated vata, kapha, arthritis, inflammations, lumbago, headache, dyspepsia, colic, dysentery, wounds, ulcers, bronchitis, cough, hemorrhoids, dysmenorrhea and general debility. The leaves are used to treat female ailments in the Cook Islands, and used to relieve fever in Samoa. Additionally in Samoa, the dried leaves are burned to deter mosquitos

. The fruits of this plant are called ``Viticis Fructus'' and are used as a folkmedicine for headaches, colds, migraine and eyepain Leaves considered antiseptic, aromatic, febrifuge, anodyne, diuretic, emmenagogue. Fruit considered nervine, cephalic⁴.

Folkloric
• Application of leaves 3 to 4 times daily provides relief for localized burning in the soles of the feet . The leaves are heated in an earthen pot without the addition of water, then applied when sufficiently hot, and held in place by a bandage.
• Decoction of leaves used for aromatic baths.
• Decoction of roots is drunk for fever and after childbirth.
• In India, leaves used as anodyne, diuretic and emmenagogue.
• Leaves in fomentations and baths used for treatment of beri-beri and burning of the feet.
• Dry fomentation of leaves used for sprains, contusions and rheumatism. Infusions used for intermittent fevers with scanty urine, rheumatism and as febrifuge.
• In Malaya, leaves are ground with garlic, pepper, turmeric and boiled rice and made into pills and given for consumption.
• Used for headache, catarrh, watery eyes, and to promote growth of the beard.
• Used in treatment of breast cancer.
• Powdered fruit, sweetened or mixed with honey, or in decoction, used as nervine, cephalic and emmenagogue⁵.