Properties of Lagundi

All parts of Vitex Negundo have been commonly used as folk medicine. The extracts of Vitex Negundo leaves possessed anti-inflammatory, analgesic and hypouricaemic activity as well as its anti-hyperglycemic activity . Anti-oxidant and anti- androgenic properties were reported from the flavonoid-rich fraction of the seeds Vitex Negundo also found use for CNS depressant, anti-histamine release and hepato-preventive purposes.

Previous studies have already demonstrated the significant analgesic activity of aqueous extract from Vitex Negundo seeds, consistent with its traditional use in southern China for the treatment of various pain disorders, such as stomachache, hernia ache, dysmenorrhea, arthralgia and piles. Based on previous investigations, they studied the analgesic activity of the aqueous ethanol extract of Vitex negundo seeds (EVNS) and the anti-nociceptive activity of the petroleum ether, dichloromethane, acetoacetate and n-butanol fractions from the aqueous ethanol extract, and found that the acetoacetate fraction had a powerful analgesic activity in preliminary experiment. The present study was designed to further examine the analgesic activity and the possible mechanism of the acetoacetate fraction as well as elucidating its chemical components and providing scientific basis for the clinical use of Vitex negundo seeds.