Vitex agnus castus - an overview

Abstract

Vitex agnus castus was already in ancient medicinal art as an official medicinal plant and is named in the work of Hippocrates, Dioskurides, Theophrastus and others. This review attempts to encompass the available literature on Vitex agnus castus with respect to its pharmacognostic characters, traditional uses, chemical constituents and summary of various pharmacological activities and clinical effects. Other aspects such as toxicology and precautions are also discussed.