A REVIEW ON VITEX NEGUNDO L. - AN ETHNO MEDICINALLY IMPORTANT PLANT

Vitex negundo L. (Verbenaceae) is a hardy plant, mainly distributed in the Indian subcontinent. All parts of the plant, from root to fruit, possess a massive amount of phytochemical secondary metabolites which inform a unique variety of medicinal uses to the plant. The presence of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids and phenolic compounds in the various plant parts are dependable for the anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-venom properties which are being revealed in the treatment of various diseases and so on. Cell and tissue culture would offer rapid propagation and conservation of the plant species and, from the position of outlook of phytochemistry, give possibility for enrichment of the quality and quantity of the bioactive secondary metabolites occurring in the plant This review aims at presenting widespread information on phytochemical constituents and beneficial uses which can be helpful in development of modern medicine.