Chinese chastetree
StarVitex negundo
Synonyms: Agnus-castus negundo, Vitex agnus-castus var. negundo
Western Herbalism Properties
Gallery
Botanical Description
Vitex negundo, the five-leaved chaste tree or Chinese chastetree, is an aromatic large shrub or small tree of the family Lamiaceae widespread across southern and eastern Asia and naturalised more broadly. It typically reaches two to five metres, with slender, quadrangular, grey-downy twigs bearing opposite, long-stalked palmately compound leaves usually of three to five lance-shaped leaflets that are dark green above and whitish-tomentose beneath, releasing a pungent scent when crushed. The small lavender to bluish flowers are borne in slender, branched terminal panicles, each flower two-lipped and tubular with a hairy throat, attracting bees. The fruit is a small, rounded, fleshy drupe ripening from green to black, containing up to four seeds. Hardy and fast-growing, the plant colonises riverbanks, wastelands and open scrub, tolerating a wide range of soils, and is long valued in Asian gardens and hedgerows.
Active Constituents
Casticin
Polymethoxylated flavonol (flavonoid)Concentration: Major bioactive flavonoid of leaves/fruit
Casticin is the signature flavonoid of the Vitex genus and one of the principal active markers of V. negundo. It shows anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, bronchodilatory/anti-asthmatic, analgesic and antiproliferative (anticancer) activity in laboratory studies.
Vitexin / isovitexin
C-glycosyl flavoneConcentration: Common leaf flavone glycosides
Apigenin-C-glycosides contributing antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and mild antihistaminic effects that support the leaf's traditional anti-inflammatory use.
Agnuside
Iridoid glycosideConcentration: Characteristic iridoid marker
Agnuside is a key iridoid of the genus with documented anti-inflammatory activity (including COX modulation) and is used as an analytical marker for Vitex material.
Negundoside / nishindaside
Iridoid glycosideConcentration: Species-characteristic iridoids
Iridoid glycosides described specifically from V. negundo; negundoside has shown hepatoprotective activity against experimental liver injury.
Vitedoin A and seed lignans
LignansConcentration: Concentrated in the seeds
The seeds are rich in lignans; total seed lignans attenuate experimental osteoarthritis, and the main component vitedoin A suppresses osteoclast differentiation via inhibition of ERK/NFATc1 signalling.
Essential oil (β-caryophyllene, sabinene, viridiflorol)
Terpene volatile oilConcentration: Aromatic leaf oil fraction
The aromatic leaf oil carries sesquiterpene and monoterpene components contributing antimicrobial, insect-repellent and mild anti-inflammatory activity.
Aucubin
Iridoid glycosideConcentration: Minor iridoid
A widely distributed iridoid with antioxidant and hepatoprotective activity reported among the leaf constituents.
⚠ Drug Interactions
Antidiabetic / hypoglycaemic drugs (insulin, sulfonylureas, metformin)
V. negundo extracts have shown hypoglycaemic activity in animal models, so concurrent use with glucose-lowering drugs could in theory produce additive effects.
Clinical note: Monitor blood glucose if used alongside diabetes medication.
NSAIDs / analgesics
The leaf's anti-inflammatory action is partly mediated by prostaglandin-synthesis inhibition, overlapping the mechanism of NSAIDs; combined use gives additive but not clearly harmful effects.
Clinical note: Generally low concern; note pharmacological overlap.
Preparation Methods
Leaf decoction / juice (Ayurvedic Nirgundi)
Parts: leaf
In Ayurveda the leaves (Nirgundi) are the main part used. Fresh leaf juice or a decoction of the leaves is taken for inflammatory and rheumatic complaints, and the warmed leaves are applied externally as a poultice or fomentation over swollen, painful joints. Dosing is traditional rather than standardised; use under a qualified practitioner.
Medicated oil (Nirgundi taila) for external use
Parts: leaf, root
Leaves are boiled with a base oil to make a medicated oil massaged into arthritic joints, sprains and muscular pain as an anti-inflammatory rubefacient.
Fomentation / steam of leaves
Parts: leaf
Warmed or steamed leaves are bound over swellings and headaches; the aromatic oil also has traditional insect-repellent use when leaves are stored with grain.
Clinical Studies
Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of mature fresh leaves of Vitex negundo
An aqueous extract of mature fresh V. negundo leaves given orally to rats produced significant anti-inflammatory, analgesic and antihistamine effects, supporting the Ayurvedic use of the leaf. The authors attributed the activity to prostaglandin-synthesis inhibition together with antihistamine, membrane-stabilising and antioxidant actions.
Total lignans from Vitex negundo seeds attenuate osteoarthritis and their main component vitedoin A alleviates osteoclast differentiation by suppressing ERK/NFATc1 signaling
Total lignans from V. negundo seeds attenuated experimental osteoarthritis in rats, raising pain thresholds and improving articular cartilage, while the lead lignan vitedoin A inhibited osteoclast differentiation by suppressing ERK/NFATc1 signalling.
Historical Texts
Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita (Nirgundi)
Classical Ayurvedic era (c. 1st millennium BCE–early CE)Chinese materia medica (Mu Jing / Huang Jing Zi)
Traditional Chinese herbal literatureReferences
- Dharmasiri MG, Jayakody JRAC, Galhena G, Liyanage SSP, Ratnasooriya WD. Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activities of mature fresh leaves of Vitex negundo . Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2003) [DOI]
- Li Y, et al.. Total lignans from Vitex negundo seeds attenuate osteoarthritis and vitedoin A alleviates osteoclast differentiation by suppressing ERK/NFATc1 signaling . Phytotherapy Research (2023) [DOI]
This information is for educational purposes only and is not intended to replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before using any herbal remedy, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or taking medications.
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