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Nirgundi Herb

Vitex negundo

Nirgundi Herb (Vitex negundo) is a plant drug, also called Nirgundi. Iridoid glycosides (agnuside, aucubin) have moderate oral bioavailability (20-35%). Lignans from stem bark are absorbed more slowly (Tmax 3-4 h) providing sustained activity.

Key facts
Botanical nameVitex negundo
FamilyLamiaceae · other entries in this family
OrderLamiales
Also known asNirgundi Herb, NirgundiHerb
Taxon identifiersGBIF 2925564 · Wikidata Q14807863 · NCBI Taxonomy 361442
Names in other languages
Hindiनिर्गुण्डी (nirguṇḍī)
Tamilநொச்சி, வெண்ணொச்சி

Sources: efloraofindia, Vitex negundo Tamil list: நொச்சி nocchi; efloraofindia, Vitex negundo: Hindi निर्गुण्ठी, Sanskrit निर्गुण्डि; efloraofindia, Vitex negundo: Tamil "வெண்ணொச்சி vennocchi" alongside நொச்சி and கருநொச்சி. How we source.

The evidence at a glance

12papers on this site for this drug, published 2010 to 2025, 11 with a DOI.

  • 6Other clinical studies and reviews
  • 6Laboratory and animal studies

A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Everything listed here is laboratory or animal work, which does not show an effect in people. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.

This entry and nirgundi describe the same drug, Vitex negundo, under different names. Both pages are kept because both names are in use, and each is cited as itself.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishNirgundi Herb

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (whole herb powder), Kwatha (decoction), Capsule, Tablet, Taila (medicated oil), Ghrita (medicated ghee), Swarasa, External poultice

Standard Dosage: 2-4 g whole herb powder daily in divided doses; 15-30 mL decoction twice daily; 500 mg - 1 g standardized whole herb extract twice daily

Optimal Timing: Oral preparations: after meals. Taila/external application: before bath or at bedtime. Ghrita: on empty stomach with warm water for systemic Vata management.

Storage: Dried herb: well-ventilated, airtight containers, below 25 deg C, RH <55%. Ghrita: clean, dry glass or food-grade containers, below 30 deg C, protect from moisture. Taila: amber glass, room temperature.

Marker Compounds: Agnuside, Aucubin, Casticin, Vitexin, Luteolin-7-glucoside, Lignan glycosides, Beta-sitosterol, p-Hydroxybenzoic acid

Synergistic Combinations

  • Dashmool combination (10-root formulation for Vata disorders)
  • Maharasnadi Kwatha ingredients (comprehensive musculoskeletal formula)
  • Bala (muscle strength and nerve health)
  • Punarnava (anti-edema and diuretic combination)
  • Guduchi (immune modulation with pain relief)

Published research

Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.

Other clinical studies and reviews6

  1. Islam Z, Caldeira GI, Caniça M and others. 2024. Vitex Genus as a Source of Antimicrobial AgentsPlants (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 38337934 · doi:10.3390/plants13030401
  2. Nyamweya B, Rukshala D, Fernando N and others. 2023. Cardioprotective Effects of Vitex negundo: A Review of Bioactive Extracts and CompoundsJournal of evidence-based integrative medicine. PMID 37279951 · doi:10.1177/2515690X231176622
  3. Das N, Salgueiro ACF, Choudhury DR and others. 2022. Traditional uses, phytochemistry, and pharmacology of genus Vitex (Lamiaceae)Phytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 35172042 · doi:10.1002/ptr.7330
  4. Wang XJ, Chen JY, Fu LQ and others. 2020. Recent advances in natural therapeutic approaches for the treatment of cancerJournal of chemotherapy (Florence, Italy). PMID 31928332 · doi:10.1080/1120009X.2019.1707417
  5. Gill BS, Mehra R, Navgeet and others. 2018. Vitex negundo and its medicinal valueMolecular biology reports. PMID 30311123 · doi:10.1007/s11033-018-4421-3
  6. Zheng CJ, Li HQ, Ren SC and others. 2015. Phytochemical and Pharmacological Profile of Vitex negundoPhytotherapy research : PTR. PMID 25641408 · doi:10.1002/ptr.5303

Laboratory and animal studies6

  1. Raekiansyah M, Ngwe Tun MM, Ang A and others. 2025. Antiviral Activity of Medicinal Plant Extracts Vitex negundo and Macaranga tanarius Against SARS-CoV-2Pathogens (Basel, Switzerland). PMID 40872330 · doi:10.3390/pathogens14080820
  2. Gu C, Wang YQ, Su BJ and others. 2024. Triterpenoids and triterpenoid saponins from Vitex negundo and their anti-inflammatory activitiesPhytochemistry. PMID 38554895 · doi:10.1016/j.phytochem.2024.114068
  3. Koirala N, Dhakal C, Munankarmi NN and others. 2020. Vitex negundo Linn.: phytochemical composition, nutritional analysis, and antioxidant and antimicrobial activityCellular and molecular biology (Noisy-le-Grand, France). PMID 32583767
  4. Khan A, Naz S, Farooq U and others. 2018. Bioactive chromone constituents from Vitex negundo alleviate pain and inflammationJournal of pain research. PMID 29343985 · doi:10.2147/JPR.S145551
  5. Kadir FA, Kassim NM, Abdulla MA and others. 2013. PASS-predicted Vitex negundo activity: antioxidant and antiproliferative properties on human hepatoma cells--an in vitro studyBMC complementary and alternative medicine. PMID 24305067 · doi:10.1186/1472-6882-13-343
  6. Vinuchakkaravarthy T, Sangeetha CK, Velmurugan D. 2010. Tris(2,4-di-tert-butyl-phen-yl) phosphateActa crystallographica. Section E, Structure reports online. PMID 21588579 · doi:10.1107/S1600536810029673

Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.

Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.

Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.