chemistry of indigenous medicinal plants of the genus vitex [family-verbenacease]

ABSTRACT

The botanical and chemical background of plants of the genus Vitex of Verbenaceae family has been described. Many investigators isolated and characterised a variety of compounds such as flavones/flavonoids, glucosides, amino acids, fatty acids, substituted aromatic acids and essential oils from these plants, while a few other chemical components have been mentioned as well. The medicinal and curative effects generally associated with chemical constituents of their flowers, fruits, leaves and roots have been briefly outlined for a number of ailments. The essential oils obtained from Vitex negundo, in isolation and in combination with others possessed not only knocking-down and in-activation of a variety of pests [especially S. cearealella of stored rice] but also caused mortality