History

Vitex negundo belongs to family Verbenaceae. All parts of the plant contain numbers of secondary metabolites such as alkaloids, phenols, flavonoids, glycosidic irridoids, tannins and terpenes. Vitex negundo possess a number of therapeutic uses; antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, CNS-depressant, diuretic, anticancer and hepatoprotective etc. In the present study, the proliferation of bone marrow and spleen cells of mice was evaluated after extraction of vitex negundo with methanol. Two doses of the extract (100mg/kg and 200/kg body weight) were given to the mice for seven successive days. On day eight, mice were sacrificed and Mitotic index, structural chromosomal aberration, micronucleus appearance index and bloods cells have been measured to evaluate fraction effects. the results were compared with that of methotrexate at a dose 20mg/kg (positive control) and dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) (negative control). The results showed that the dose 100 and 200 mg/kg body weight of vitex negundo extract caused significant increase in mitotic index in both bone marrow and spleen cells of mice when compared with negative control.