Changes

*''Vitex negundo'' L., *''V. trifolia'' L.

''Vitex'' comprises about 150 species and occurs throughout the tropics and subtropics with a few species extending to temperate regions. About 30 species occur in the Malesian region. The most important medicinal species, ''V. negundo'' and ''V. trifolia'' , are widely cultivated not only for their medicinal properties but also as ornamental and hedge plants, and have sometimes naturalized.

A double-blind placebo-controlled trial was carried out to investigate the effects of lagundi ( ''V. negundo'' ) tablets in the control of non-bacterial cough in children: the clinical response was assessed subjectively and objectively and the pulmonary function was also measured. It was found that the ''V. negundo'' tablets significantly improved the subjective assessments of frequency of cough and colour of sputum in children older than 7 years. In younger children, they were no better than the placebo in terms of the subjective clinical parameters used. No side-effects were reported and the tablet was acceptable in its taste and smell.

An ethanol extract and a cold aqueous infusion of leaves of ''V. leucoxylon'' L.f., an Indian species, were evaluated in a battery of tests to define its activity profile. The cold aqueous solution depressed SMA, antagonized d-amphetamine stereotypy and oxotremorine tremors, shortened the duration of mice immobility in a behavioural "despair" test and lowered serum total cholesterol level. The ethanol extract showed significant inhibition of carrageenin-induced paw oedema and granulation tissue formation in rats. Suppression of acetic acid writhing was observed with both the ethanol extract and the aqueous solution. The LD₅₀value of the ethanol extract was over 3000 mg/kg (intraperitoneal) and that of the aqueous solution 800-1200 mg/kg.

The ability of the flavonoid-rich fraction (5,7,3'-trihydroxy,6,8,4'- trimethoxy flavones) of ''V. negundo'' seeds to antagonize the androgen action of exogenous testosterone propionate on the male reproductive system has been confirmed in experiments with castrated prepubertal and intact adult dogs. Similar effects were observed in experiments with male rats. An alcohol extract from ''V. negundo'' seeds obtained by cold maceration was found effective as a hepatoprotective against liver damage induced by carbon tetrachloride.

Ecdysteroids are found in the bark of several ''Vitex'' species, e.g. ''V. glabrata'' and ''V. pinnata'' . The bark of these species is used as an anthelmintic and a remedy for gastro-intestinal disorders.

Leaf extracts of ''V. negundo'' show promise as a pesticide for integrated pest management. The insecticidal properties include effects on ''Culex'' and ''Anopheles'' , well-known vectors of malaria. Furthermore, dried and pulverized leaves or leaf extracts can be successfully applied in pest management during storage of potatoes, cereals and pulses. Oils from the leaves of ''V. negundo'' and ''V. trifolia'' show considerable mosquito repellent activity. The active principle in the leaves of ''V. trifolia'' has been identified as rotundinal, a cycloterpene aldehyde.

*Evergreen or deciduous shrubs or small to medium-sized trees, sometimes large, up to 45 m tall; bole crooked to straight, up to 125(-200) cm in diameter, usually without buttresses but sometimes with distinct buttresses, often deeply fluted; bark .*Bark surface rather smooth to shallowly fissured or flaky, pale grey to pale yellowish-brown, inner bark pale yellow to bright orange; crown often spreading. *Leaves opposite or in whorls of 3, palmately compound with 3-7(-9) leaflets, rarely reduced to 1 leaflet, without stipules; leaflets entire, dentate or lobed. *Inflorescence terminal or axillary, cymose, the cymes sessile or pedunculate, solitary or arranged in racemes, thyrses or panicles. *Flowers bisexual; calyx campanulate to tubular, 5-lobed to truncate; corolla usually with a short tube, 2-lipped, upper lip 2-fid, lower lip 3-fid, often pubescent outside, white to blue or violet or rarely yellowish; stamens 4, didynamous, inserted on the corolla tube, exserted; ovary superior, usually first 2-locular and later 4-locular with a single ovule in each cell, style 1, filiform, stigma bifid. *Fruit a juicy or dry drupe, seated on the often enlarged calyx, generally with one 4-seeded pyrene. *Seeds obovoid or oblong, without endosperm. *Seedling with epigeal germination; cotyledons emergent, leafy; hypocotyl elongated; leaves opposite, conduplicate, first ones simple and with toothed margins.

''Vitex'' is generally placed in the subfamily ''Viticoideae'' and is probably most closely related to ''Premna'' which has simple leaves and very small flowers. ''Vitex'' might be confused with ''Teijsmanniodendron'' which differs, however, in the swollen apex of petioles and petiolules and the 2-celled ovary and fruit. Numerous subspecific taxa that are mainly varieties and formae have been described within many species of ''Vitex'' , but the usefulness of distinguishing them is questionable. ''V. negundo'' closely resembles ''V. trifolia'' but can be distinguished by its long-petioluled median leaflet and 3-5 leaflets.

''Vitex'' can be propagated by seed, but germination of ''V. trifolia'' seed is reported to be difficult. ''V. quinata'' has 7800-8200 dry fruits per kg. ''V. negundo'' can be propagated by cuttings 20 cm long which had 60% rooting success without the use of growth hormones; soaking the cuttings in naphthalene acetic acid at a concentration of 0.1-1.0 mg/l increased rooting to almost 100%. In the Philippines lagundi ( ''V. negundo'' ) for medicinal purposes is planted at a spacing of 2 m × 4 m. When nursery stock is transplanted, 25 g of ammonium sulphate is applied directly to the planting hole. In India, ''V. negundo'' has been planted at an experimental scale for the production of firewood with 25 000 plants/ha. Planting should be done early in the rainy season. Generally ''V. quinata'' is planted at 1 m × 3 m in Java, occasionally at 1 m × 1-2 m on very fertile soils.

In the Philippines, circular leaf spot caused by ''Corynespora'' sp. severely damages ''V. negundo'' plantations locally, especially in the rainy season. ''Cercospora'' leaf spot and leaf blight caused by an unknown agent have also been observed. Thrips, lepidopterous defoliators and leaffolders are economically important pests of ''V. negundo'' . In Java, ''Cromerus kalshoveni'' , a top-sucking insect, has been observed on ''V. quinata'' .

*E.P. Capareda