Vitex trifolia Health Dictionary

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Vitex Trifolia: From 1 Different Sources

Linn.

Family: Verbenaceae.

Habitat: Throughout India in tropical and subtropical regions.

Ayurvedic: Sinduvaara, Nirgundi (white var.).

Siddha/Tamil: Karu Nochi, Siru Nochi.

Folk: Paani-Sambhaalu.

Action: Leaves—febrifuge, antibacterial, anthelmintic, cytotoxic. Extract of the leaves showed inhibitory action against Mycobac- terium tuberculosis. Leaves used as poultice in rheumatism, inflammations and sprains. Root and flowers—febrifuge. Root—expectorant. Fruit—used in amenorrhoea.

Aerial parts gave friedelin, beta- sitosterol and itsbeta-D-glucoside, and a long chain hydrocarbon. The leaves gave the flavonoids—artemetin, lute- olin, orientin, casticin; and iridoid gly- cosides, aucubin and agnuside. The fruits contain an alkaloid, vitricin.

Vitrosin A and vitexicarpin, isolated from the plant, blocked spontaneous contraction of isolated guinea-pig trachea induced by histamine. (Planta Med, 2002, Nov., 68/11).

The leaves are reported to improve memory and favour hair growth. Leaf extract showed significant antitumour activity in the murine tumour system.
Health Source: Indian Medicinal Plants
Author: Health Dictionary

Trifoliate

Having three leaflets in a compound leaf, like a clover.... trifoliate

Indigofera Trifoliata

Linn.

Synonym: I. prostrata Willd.

Family: Fabaceae.

Habitat: Throughout greater parts of India.

Folk: Vana-methi.

Action: Astringent, antileucor- rhoeic, antirheumatic, alterative, restorative.

The seeds contain crude protein 31.5 pentosan 7.3, water soluble gum 3.0%.... indigofera trifoliata

Menyanthes Trifoliata

Linn.

Family: Gentianaceae.

Habitat: Native to Britain and Europe; found in Kashmir.

English: Bogbean, Buckbean, Goat's bean, Marsh Trefoil.

Folk: Buckbean.

Action: Bitter tonic, deobstruent. Laxative in large doses. Used for diseases of liver and gallbladder, and rheumatism. (Contraindicated in diarrhoea, dysentery and colitis.)

Key application: Leaf—in loss of appetite, peptic discomforts. (German Commission E.) As a bitter tonic. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.) The drug stimulates saliva and gastric juice secretion. (German Commission E.)

The herb contains iridoid glyco- sides, foliamenthin, dihydrofoliamen- thin, menthiafolin and loganin; pyri- dine alkaloids including gentianine; coumarins (scopoletin); phenolic acids (caffeic, with protocatechuic, ferulic, sinapic, vanillic including others; fla- vonoids including rutin, hyperoside.

Choleretic action of the herb is attributed to the synergistic action of caffeic and ferulic acids and iridoid glycosides.

Scoparone and scopoletin (cou- marins isolated from the aerial parts) exhibit antihepatotoxic, choleretic and cholagogue properties.

The rhizomes contain dihydrofolia- menthin, loganin, menthiafolin and a triterpenoid saponin menyantho- side. Aqueous extract of the rhizome showed greater preserved renal function and higher glomerular filtration rate, possibly due to Platelet Activating Factor (PAF)-antagonistic effect of the extract.... menyanthes trifoliata

Sagittaria Trifolia

Linn.

Synonym: S. sagittifolia Hook. f. (non L.)

Family: Alismataceae.

Habitat: Throughout the plains of India.

English: Old world Arrowhead.

Folk: Chhotaa Kuuta, Muyaa (Bengali).

Action: Plant—discutient, anti- galactagogue, astringent, antiinflammatory. Tuber—used for cutaneous diseases. Leaves—powder dusted in pruritus; mashed with molasses used in sore throat and inflammation of the breasts.

The plant contains a diterpene, sagit- tariol, beta-sitosterol, its glucoside and hentriacontanone. The diterpenes, tri- foliones A, B, C and D, inhibited his- tamine release from rat mast cells.

The bulbs contain sandaracopimar- ic acid which suppressed the immune function of animal T-cells.... sagittaria trifolia

Triphasia Trifolia

(Burm. f.) P. Wils.

Family: Rutaceae.

Habitat: Wild in parts of Peninsular India; cultivated in gardens.

English: Lime Berry, Myrtle-Lime, Chinese Lime.

Folk: Chinese Naarangi.

Action: Leaves—used in skin diseases and in preparation of bath salts. Ripe fruits—used against cough.

The leaves contain the alkaloid O- methylhalfordinol and coumarins, including umbelliferone, isomeranzin and triphasiol.... triphasia trifolia

Vitex Agnus-castus

Linn.

Family: Verbenaceae.

Habitat: Mediterranean region; South-West Asian countries, up to Pakistan. (Seeds are imported from Iran.)

English: Monk's Pepper-tree, Hemp tree.

Ayurvedic: Renukaa (seed). Renukaa and Harenukaa are synonyms in Indian medicine.

Unani: Sambhaalu.

Action: Dried ripe fruit—acts on the anterior pituitary gland, reducing FSH and increasing LSH; stimulates production of progesterone by reducing oestrogen; used as a substitution therapy in primary and secondary corpus luteum deficiency. Used for premenstrual syndrome, for regulating hormones in amenorrhoea and for bleeding between periods; also as a galactagogue and to assist bust development.

The herb is also used in the treatment of premature old age due to sexual excess, nervous debility and impotence (as a homoeopathic drug). Vitex agnus extract is found to lower prolactin levels in men (the decrease in prolactin levels results in improved sexual performance. Males with hyperprolacti- naemia frequently face impotence).

Key application: In irregularities of menstrual cycle, premenstrual complaints, mastodynia. (German Commission E.) As a hormonal modulator. (The British Herbal Pharmacopoeia.)

The methanolic extract of the flowering stems of Vitex agnus-castus yielded iridoids, angnucastoside-A, B and C, in addition to aucubin, agnuside, mussaenosidic acid and 6'-O-p-hy- droxybenzoylmussaenosidic acid, and phenylbutenone glucoside, myzoden- drone.

Dopaminergic compounds, present in the herb, are clinically important compounds which improve premenstrual mastodynia and other symptoms of premenstrual syndrome.

The herb may counteract birth control pills. (Sharon M. Herr.)... vitex agnus-castus

Vitex Leucoxylon

Linn. f.

Family: Verbenaceae.

Habitat: Throughout Deccan Peninsula.

Ayurvedic: Paaraavata-padi, Kaakajanghaa. (Kaakajanghaa is also equated with Leea aequata Linn.)

Action: Roots—febrifuge, astringent.

Ethanolic extract and cold aqueous infusion of the leaf were found to suppress acetic acid-induced writhing in mice and carrageenan-induced hind paw oedema in rats. The flavonoids exhibited anti-inflammatory activity.... vitex leucoxylon

Vitex Negundo

Linn.

Family: Verbenaceae.

Habitat: Throughout India in the warmer zones; ascending to 900 m in the North-western Himalaya.

English: Five-leaved Chaste tree.

Ayurvedic: Nirgundi, Shephaa- likaa, Sindhuka, Sindhuvaara, Suvahaa, Sugandhikaa. Nila, Nila- nirgundi, Shveta nirgundi (var.). White-flowered var. is known as Sinduvaara, blue-flowered as Nirgundi or Shephaali,

Unani: Sambhaalu, Fanjankisht.

Siddha/Tamil: Nochi, Nalla Nochi, Vellai Nochchi, Nirkundi.

Action: Seeds—prescribed in spermatorrhoea, and for promoting spermiogenesis (in Unani medicine). Also given as a rejuvenating tonic for retarding old age and for retaining and promoting virility. (in Ayurvedic medicine). Leaf—anti-inflammatory, analgesic; removes foetid discharges and worms from ulcers. Flowers—astringent, febrifuge, antidiarrhoeic; prescribed in liver complaint. Oil— applied to sinus, scrofulous sores.

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India recommends the leaf (also the root) in excessive vaginal discharges, oedema, skin diseases, pruritus, helmin- thiasis, rheumatism, and puerperal fever.

A water extract of the leaves, when administered to rats, exhibited anti- inflammatory, analgesic, antihistami- nic and membrane stabilizing and an- tioxidant activities. (J. Ethnopharmo- col, 2003, (203), 199-206.) Methano- lic extract of leaves showed remarkable antihistaminic activity.

The leaves contain iridoid glyco- sides, isomeric flavanones and flavo- noids, besides casticin and the gluco- sides, luteolin-7-glucoside and alpha- D-glucoside of a tetrahydroxy mono- methoxy flavone.

Dried powder of roots contains hen- triacontane, beta-sitosterol and its aetat and stigmasterol. Alcoholic extract of the root showed 40-60% antiimplantation activity with no anti- ovulatory effect in rats.

Flavone vitexicarpin (1), isolated from the leaves, exhibited broad cyto- toxicity in human cancer cell line panel. Two pentacyclic triterpenoids, betulin- ic acid and ursolic acid, along with an aliphatic alcohol, n-hentriacontanol, beta-sitosterol and p-hydroxybenzoic acid have been isolated from leaves.

The seeds contain p-hydroxybenz- oic acid, 5-oxyisophthalic acid, glucose and the triterpene, vitextriter- pene. Several anti-inflammatory triter- penoids and flavonoids have also been isolated from the seeds. The flavanone, 5,7,3' trihydroxy-6, 8,4'-trimethoxy- flavone exhibited anti-androgenic activity in adult mice and dogs.

Dosage: Leaf—10-15 ml juice (API, Vol. III); root—10-12 ml juice (API, Vol. IV.)... vitex negundo

Vitex Peduncularis

Wall. ex Schauer.

Family: Verbenaceae.

Habitat: Assam, West Bengal, Bihar and South India.

Ayurvedic: Kaakajanghaa. (Leea aequata Linn. is also equated with Kaakajanghaa.)

Folk: Chirai-godaa, Chirai-gorwaa, Naagpheni.

Action: Leaves and bark—used in malarial and black water fevers. Leaves—antibacterial.

The leaves and root bark gave pachy- podol, ursolic acid, vitexin and pedun- cularcin.... vitex peduncularis

Walsura Trifoliata

(A. Juss.) Harms.

Synonym: W. piscidia Roxb.

Family: Meliaceae.

Habitat: Karnataka, Western Ghats, Palni and Anaimalai Hills, also western India.

Siddha/Tamil: Cheddavokko, Kanjiram.

Folk: Waalsuuraa.

Action: Bark—stimulant, expectorant, emmenagogue, emetic. Also used to kill vermin in the hair.

The bark contains saponin and tannin.... walsura trifoliata

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