Review on Phytochemical and Pharmacological Properties of Vitex trifolia Linn

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.