The Essential Properties of Chaste Tree
by the Doctor Matteo Politi
Pharmacological activity
A considerable body of research has been documented on the use of the medicinal plant Vitex agnus-castus
for the treatment of menstrual problems, however less information is available on the action
medicinal product of the essential oils obtained from this species.
The action of essential oil on the symptoms of menopause using essential oils obtained from both fruits and leaves was evaluated through a survey
based on questionnaires conducted on 23 subjects.6
Both essential oils were found to be effective, although the essential oil obtained from the leaves appears to have a wider range of actions as it also addresses
psychological aspects.
Since the fruits are currently believed to be the active part of the plant, this raises the question of whether the leaves should be studied in more detail.
In a subsequent work, the investigation was applied to a further 52 subjects, obtaining results that confirmed the previous ones.7
In this second work, mention is made of the possible side effects including headache, nausea, emotional crises, and interactions with other pharmacological treatments including hormonal ones and those based on neuroleptics such as
Haloperidol and Thioridazine.
Cytotoxic activity
Dose-dependent cytotoxic effects of essential oils obtained from the fruits and aerial parts of the plant
deprived of the fruits were tested on A549 tumor cell lines (lung adenocarcinoma cells
human), MCF 7 (breast carcinoma cells), and C6 (rat glioma cells), using the MTT method (a standard assay for measuring the activity of enzymes that function only in live cells).8
The essential oil obtained from the fruits showed a higher cytotoxic effect on all the tested tumor cell lines with IC50 values (concentration required to inhibit the target 50%) of 90.0 ± 5.0,
70.0 ± 10.0, 169.7 ± 4.5 µg/ml, respectively, while Mitoxantrone (synthetic antineoplastic) showed antitumor activity against all tumor cell lines with IC50 values of 23.7 ± 3.2, 8.4 ± 1.4,
11.8 ± 0.8 µg/ml, respectively. MCF 7 cell lines were found to be the most sensitive to essential oils compared to the others. It was noted that the essential oil obtained from the fruits induced apoptosis (cell death
programmed cell line) on both A549 and MCF 7 cell lines.
Acaricidal activity
The red spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) is considered one of the most dangerous pests of soybeans; it is a mite
polyphagous, it infests many vegetables (tomatoes, beans, etc.), ornamental trees and herbaceous plants, and
most fruit trees. Tetranychus urticae is considered one of the main plagues of the
world, causing significant damage to crops of agricultural interest.
The acaricidal action was detected by two investigation methods (fumigation and residual contact), and is
It has been observed that it varies depending on the parts of the plant used and the method employed.9 Through the
fumigation test, the essential oil obtained from the leaves was found to be about six times more toxic than the oil
essential oil obtained from the fruits (essential oil leaves: LD50 = 0.61 µL/L of air – where LD50 means the
“Lethal Dose” of a substance, administered at one time, capable of killing the 50% of a
sample population). However, through the residual contact test, the essential oil obtained from the fruits
It is 1.1 times more toxic than the essential oil obtained from the leaves (fruit essential oil: LD50 = 137.11
µL/mL). This research also presents the relationship between the chemical composition of oils
essential and acaricidal activity, using the compound Eugenol as a reference standard.
Other activities
Further studies describing both the phytochemical profiles and further investigations on the
pharmacological effects of essential oils obtained from Vitex agnus-castus. In particular, it is evaluated
antimicrobial10, insecticidal and phytotoxic11, antifungal and antioxidant activity.12
A general review of the chemical composition and medicinal properties of the plant in general
(therefore not strictly connected to the essential oil) was presented in 1996 by two researchers
Italians.13
Phytochemical profile
Essential oils from different parts of Vitex agnus-castus were obtained by hydro-distillation carried out
according to the method indicated in the European Pharmacopoeia1 for 3 hours.
The yields, calculated on the dry weight of the plant material used, were 1.4, 0.8 and 1.8% for inflorescence, leaves and fruits.
respectively.
Eighty-five compounds were identified by Gas Chromatography 1,8
Cineole, α-terpineol, sabinene, β-caryophyllene, β-selinene and cis-β-3-farnesene are the major components detected.2
Further details regarding the variation of chemical components of essential oil in relation to different factors
including for example water stress, light intensity, degree of maturity and place of origin of the
plant material, the distillation times, are reported in the literature.3–5
Vitex agnus-castus L.
• Angiosperms
• Lamiaceae (according to the classification Angiosperm Phylogeny Group III; otherwise Verbenaceae)
• Vitex
• Vitex agnus-castus L.
botanical nomenclature source
Bibliography
1. European Pharmacopoeia, Vol. 3, Page 68-71. Maisonneuve SA, Sainte-Ruffine; 1975.
2. Senatore F, Porta G Della, Reverchon E. Constituents of Vitex agnus-castus L. essential oil.
Flavor Fragr J. 1996;11:179-182. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1099-1026(199605)11:3<179::AIDFFJ566>3.0.CO;2-6
3. Rezaei M, Razmjoo J, Ehtemam MH, Karimmojeni H, Zahedi M. The interaction between shades
and drought affects essential oil quantity and quality of Vitex agnus-castus L. leaves and seeds. Ind
Crops Prod. 2019;137:460–467. doi:10.1016/j.indcrop.2019.05.059
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from Cretan Vitex agnus-castus fruits. Planta Med. 2000;66:245-250. doi:10.1055/s-2000-10685
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survey. Complement Ther Nurs Midwifery. 2002;8:148-154. doi:10.1054/ctnm.2002.0634
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from Vitex agnus-castus L. (Verbenaceae) and selected monoterpenes. An Acad Bras Cienc.
2016;88(3):1221-1233. doi:10.1590/0001-3765201620140050
10. Stojković D, Soković M, Glamočlija J, et al. Chemical composition and antimicrobial activity of
Vitex agnus-castus L. fruits and leaves essential oils. Food Chem. 2011;128:1017–1022. doi:
10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.04.007
11. Ulukanli Z, Çenet M, Öztürk B, Bozok F, Karabörklü S, Demirci SC. Chemical Characterization,
Phytotoxic, Antimicrobial and Insecticidal Activities of Vitex agnus-castus' Essential Oil from East
Mediterranean Region. J Essent Oil-Bearing Plants. 2015;18(6):1500-1507. doi:
10.1080/0972060X.2015.1004125
12. Asdadi A, Hamdouch A, Oukacha A, et al. Study on chemical analysis, antioxidant and in vitro
antifungal activities of essential oil from wild Vitex agnus-castus L. seeds growing in area of
Argan Tree of Morocco against clinical strains of Candida responsible for nosocomial infections. J
Mycol Med. 2015;25(4):e118-e127. doi:10.1016/j.mycmed.2015.10.005
13. Russo M, Galletti GC. Medicinal properties and chemical composition of Vitex agnus-castus L.: A
review. Acta Hortic. 1996;426:105-112. doi:10.17660/ActaHortic.1996.426.11