Nirgundi / Vitex negundo - Health benefits, application, chemical constituents, side effects and many more

 

Nirgundi / Vitex negundo 

Nirgundi is a Sanskrit word, which means it protects the body from infections. The botanical name of Nirgundi is Vitex negundo and it belongs to the family Verbenaceae. Owing to wide range of medicinal properties, Nirgundi is very useful herb. It is used for its medicinal values for thousands of years by the people all over the globe. It has cardiotonic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-histaminic, anti-cancerous, anxiolytic, expectorant, carminative, digestive, anodyne, antiseptic, alterant, antipyretic, anti-asthmatic, hepatoprotective properties.

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Vitex negundo Linn. is an aromatic shrub which may grow into a small tree. It is woody and it thrives well in humid places or along the water courses in wastelands. It is also found to grow well in mixed open forests. It is reported to occur in Afghanistan, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, Eastern Africa and Madagascar. A popular local quote of the Bengalis in the Western Himalayan region of India which translates as - A man cannot die of disease in an area where Vitex negundo Linn.

It has different names in different languages such as English Name(Five Leaved Chaste, Horseshoe vitex, Chinese chaste tree),  Hindi Name(Sambhalu, mewri, Nisinda, Sawbhalu, Nirgundi),  Marathi Name(Nirgudi),  Malayalam Name(Indrani),   Telugu Name(indhuvara, Vavili, Nalla-vavili, Tella-vavili, Lekkali),  Tamil Name(Chinduvaram, Nirnochchi, Nochchi, Notchi, Vellai-nochchi),  Bengali Name(Nirgundi, Nishinda, Samalu),  Assamese Name(Pochotia),  Kannada name(Bile-nekki, Lakki soppu, Lakki gida, Lekki gida),   Punjabi name(Banna, Marwan, Maura, Mawa, Swanjan, Torbanna),  

Parts of plants used 

Leaves, Roots, Flower and Seeds

Chemical constituents

• Leaves contains an alkaloid nishindine, flavanoids like flavones, luteolin-7, glucoside, casticin, iridioid, glycosides, an essential oil and other constituents like vitamin C, carotene,gluco-nonital, benzoic acid, B-sitosterol, and C-glycoside. Seeds contain hydrocarbons, B-sitosterol and benzoic acid and phthalic acid. Anti-inflammatory diterpene, flavanoids, artemetin and triterpenoids. Fatty acids, B-sitosterol, vannilic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and luteolin have been isolated from bark. Stem bark yields leucoanthocyanidins. 

• Phytochemical investigation of this plant indicated the presence of monoterpenes agnuside, flavonoids- casticin, chryso-splenol and vitexin, flavonoids (vitexicarpin) also, 5,3’-dihydroxy-3,6,7,4’-tetramethoxyllavone and hydroxy-3,6,7,3’,4’-penta methoxy flavone from the leaves (13). Seeds of Vitex negundo L agorded a new lignan characterized as 6-hydroxy-4-4-hydroxy-3-methoxyphenyl), 3-hydroxymethyl-7-methoxy-3,4-dihydro-2-naphthaldehyde by spectroscopic methods and triterpenoids (betulinic acid and ursolic acid), lignans (negundins, vitedonin), alkaloid (vitrafalal) and diterpene (vitedoin) investigated.

• It also contains the flavonoids casticin, chryso-splenol and vitexin.

• Vitedoin A is phytochemical which is a very strong antioxidant. It have more antioxidant activity than L-cystine and Vit E. 

             - Antioxidant activity of this plant reduced the levels of catalase, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidise

• A novel compound Tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphate (TDTBPP) was isolated from the leaves of Vitex negundo, which posses Antiinflammatory properties.

Properties and Benefits

• Rasa (taste) – Katu (pungent), Tikta (bitter)
• Guna (qualities) – Laghu (lightness), Rooksha (dryness)
• Taste conversation after digestion – Katu(pungent)
• Veerya (potency) – Ushna (hot 🔥)
• Effect on Tridosha – Balances Vata and Kapha.
• Benefits
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• Krumi – useful in intestinal worm infestation
• Medohara – useful against cholesterol
• Vranahara – heals wounds faster
• Vranakurmi here – cleanses wounds
• Keshya – improves hair quality
• Vishapaha — anti toxic, anti poisonous
• Shulahara – useful in abdominal colic, anti spasmoidic
• Gulma – useful in abdominal tumor
• Aruchi – useful in anorexia
• Medhya – improves intelligence, relieves anxiety
• Netrahita, Chakshushya – good for eyes,
• Deepani – carminative
• Amahara – useful in Ama (a product of altered digestion and metabolism)
• Pratishyaya – useful in running nose
• Kushta – useful in skin diseases, eczema, ring worm
• Rujapaha – relieves muscle and arthritis related pain
• Pleeha – useful in spleen disorder
• Shwasahara – useful in asthma, bronchitis
• Kasahara – useful in cold, cough
• Smrutida – improves memory
• Its fumes are useful in getting rid of mosquitoes.
• The flower of nirgundi is said to have bitter taste, cold potency, helps to treat vata and kapha related disorders, gulma, splenic disorders, tastelessness, various skin conditions, itching and edema.
• Flowers of sindhuvara (sweta nirgundi – white form) were used as vegetables having the property of cooling (Shitala) and the power of destroying bile (pittanasana)  

Uses benefits and application

1) The leaves are made into paste, heated a touch and applied externally to alleviate headache, orchitis (swelling in testicles), rheumatoid and osteo arthritis.

2) Leaves also possess anti-inflammatory, anti-histaminic, hepato-protective, CNS depressant properties and also used for their snake venom neutralizing properties.

            - Oil of Vitex negundo prevented carrageen induced inflammation via COX-2 inhibition, this means that its leaf oil possesses potent anti-inflammatory property and acts via the inhibition of COX-2 receptor without interfering COX-1 inhibition.

3) Flowers of the plant are used in liver ailments and diarrhoea.

4) Water decoction of Nirgundi is used for vaginal douche to alleviate local inflammation and also for mouth gargling to alleviate throat pain and oral ulcers.

5) It is used to treat day to day diseases like cough and cold. 

6) For Asthma, cough, fever : Take 1/4th decoction three times a day.

7) Vitex negundo is the richest source of stable Vitamin C. This richness in Vitamin C makes the Nirgundi one of the best antiinflammatory and anti-biotic.

8) Leaf juice also is useful in treating skin conditions such as eczema psoriasis and in inflammatory joint disorders such as arthritis and gout. Applied externally, the svarasa is used in the treatment of otitis media, joint inflammation, wounds, snake and insect bites, ulcers, bruises, sprains, and orchitis, to relieve both pain as well as inflammation. 

9) It is used in all systems of treatment – Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Homeopathy, and Allopathy. 

10) The dry leaves are burnt and fumes are inhaled to alleviate headache and running nose.

11) Nirgundi oil is prepared with sesame oil, which is used in wound healing and grey hairs.

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12) Herbal shoes prepared from nirgundi wood are reported to be effective in the treatment of rheumatism, and the practice is popular in parts of Chhattisgarh.

13) It is used as a hedge, ornamental plant, growth promoter in agriculture, manure, pesticide, medicine, food, food protectant, household pesticide, in reclamation of wasteland and erosion, basketry, witchcraft, totems, water divination, and in the preparation of grain storage structures.  

14) In ancient times its inflorescence was used as an ornament. 

15) Sindhuvara, the white-flowered variety, is used in treating fevers, rat and snake poisoning, and intrinsic hemorrhage. Nirgundi, the blue-flowered variety, has been used to cure cough and asthma, guinea worm, gandmala (cervical adenitis), sinus, epilepsy, consumption, fetid ear, vatavyadhi, and puerperal disorders.  

16) Leaves are burnt in a fire during the rainy season to keep mosquitoes and insects away.

17) Since generations, the natives of Chhattisgarh are using the nirgundi herb to prepare earthen pots to store grains for long periods. Similarly, the Mahadeokolis of Maharashtra use wood of nigudi to prepare kothala for the grain storage barrel.

18) For Cold, cough, headache, fever : Leaves are boiled in water and the vapour is inhaled twice a day.

19) For Boils and pimples : Grind neem, Karanja and Nirgundi (Vitex negundo) and apply topically.

20) Bone fracture : Leaf ground with salt and pepper seeds into a paste is applied for bone fracture.

22) For Burning urination and kidney stone : About two spoon root extract dissolved in tender coconut water is used twice a day for a week.

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23) Pain in muscles : Leaves are smeared with mustard oil, heated and applied on affected area.

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24) Flowers of these plant are used for their febrifuge(relieve fever) and astringent properties. Fruits of the plant possess vermifuge and emmenagogue properties. They also act as nervine tonics. Seeds of Vitex negundo possess antitoxin properties. Oil of the seeds is used in scrofulous sores and to the sinus. Roots of the plant are diuretic, expectorant and febrifuge and are also used as tonic. Whole plant possesses analgesic, anti-gastalgic, anti-parasitic and anti-flatulant activities. It is also used for its emmenagogue and galactogogue properties.

25) The main cause remains the ever increasing reporting of adverse effects and continuously decreasing efficacy of allopathic drugs, especially the antibiotics. Vitex negundo possesses a wide variety of bioactive molecules and nutrients, and it has a wide range of pharmacological properties and thus can be hope for the future in the preventive and curative medicine. 

26) The shrub can be used for forestation, especially for reclamation of forestlands which are affected by floods. Because its roots are strong and deep and suckers profusely.  

27) Lokopakara(ancient text on indian agriculture) refers to the cure of fever of cows with a decoction of nirgundi and neem leaves. Ground leaves of nirgundi, Leucas aspera, bottle gourd, madar, mustard, betel pepper, and lime, made into a gruel after stirring along with sesame oil and administered orally cures ninety-six types of cattle diseases. (For more information about veterinary use of Nirgundi refer the Lokopakara book).

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19) Pharmacologyonline 1: 286-302 (2009)

20) Bhojana Kutuhalam

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