Medicinal properties and chemical composition of Vitex agnus-castus L.: a Review

The pharmacological properties and chemical composition of the genus Vitex and, in particular, of the Mediterranean species Vitex agnus-castus L. are reviewed. The botanical characteristics of V. agnus-castus are described. The uses of the drug by ancient monastic communities as an an aphrodisiac and its present potential uses as a traditional medicine for the treatment of diseases connected with the female hormone system are briefly discussed. The chemical composition of the essential oil and of other chemical classes present in the leaves, fruits and wood of V. agnus-castus are summarized.