Monograph: Chaste tree

Date: 2018-10-30

NHPID name

Vitex agnus-castus ( Germplasm Resources Information Network Taxonomy )

Proper name(s)

Vitex agnus-castus ( McGuffin et al. 2000 , USDA 1998 )

Common name(s)

• Chaste berry ( McGuffin et al. 2000 , USDA 1998 )
• Chaste tree ( McGuffin et al. 2000 , USDA 1998 )
• Vitex ( Guilde des herboristes 2007 , PasseportSanté 2007 )

Source material

Fruit ( Mills and Bone 2005 , Mills and Bone 2000 )

Route Of administration

Oral

Dosage form(s)

Use(s) or purpose(s)

Statement(s) to the effect of:

• Used in Herbal Medicine to help relieve premenstrual symptoms.
• Used in Herbal Medicine (as a hormone normaliser) to help stabilise menstrual cycle irregularities.
• Used in Herbal Medicine to help relieve symptoms associated with menopause, such as hot flushes.
• Used in Herbal Medicine (as a hormone normaliser) to help stabilise menstrual cycle irregularities and relieve premenstrual symptoms.

Dose(s)

Adults:

See Appendix 1 for examples of appropriate dosage preparations, frequencies of use and directions for use, according to cited references

Duration of use

Use for at least 3 months to see beneficial effects.

Risk information

Statement(s) to the effect of:

Caution(s) and Warning(s):

• Consult a health care practitioner/health care provider/health care professional/doctor/ physician if symptoms persist or worsen.
• Consult a health care practitioner/health care provider/health care professional/doctor/ physician prior to use if you are taking hormone-containing medications such as progesterone preparations, oral contraceptives or hormone replacement therapy.

Contraindication(s): No statement is required Known Adverse Reaction(s): No statement is required

Non-medicinal ingredients

Must be chosen from the current Natural health products ingredients database and must meet the limitations outlined in the database.

Specifications

• The finished product specifications must be established in accordance with the requirements described in the NHPD Quality of natural health products guide.
• The medicinal ingredient must comply with the requirements outlined in the Natural health products ingredient database (NHPID).
• The medicinal ingredient may comply with the specifications outlined in the following monographs: (i) Agnus Castus Fruit published in the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur. 2007) and British Pharmacopoeia (BP) (ii) Chaste Tree, Powdered Chaste Tree, Powdered Chaste Tree Extract in the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP 32)

References cited

• Blumenthal M, Goldberg A, Brinkmann J, editors. 2000. Herbal Medicine: Expanded Commission E Monographs. Boston (MA): Integrative Medicine Communications.
• BP 2009: British Pharmacopoeia Commission. 2008. British Pharmacopoeia 2009, Volume III. London (GB): The Stationary Office on behalf of the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
• Bradley PR, editor. 2006. British Herbal Compendium: A Handbook of Scientific Information on Widely Used Plant Drugs, Volume 2. Bournemouth (GB): British Herbal Medicine Association.
• Brinker F. 2010. Online Updates and Additions to Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions, 3rd edition. Sandy (OR): Eclectic Medical Publications. [Updated 2010 February 15]; [Accessed 2010 March 04]. Available from: http://www.eclecticherb.com/emp/updatesHCDI.html
• Bruneton J. 1999. Pharmacognosie, Phytochimie, Plantes Médicinales, 3e édition. Paris (FR) : Technique & Documentation.
• ESCOP 2003: European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy Scientific Committee. ESCOP Monographs: The Scientific Foundation for Herbal Medicinal Products, 2nd edition. Exeter (GB): European Scientific Cooperative on Phytotherapy in collaboration with Thieme.
• Grieve M. 1971. A Modern Herbal, Volume 1. New York (NY): Dover Publications; [Reprint of 1931 Harcourt, Brace & Company publication].
• Guilde des herboristes. 2007. Nomenclature d'herbes médicinales. Rapport d'experts pour la DPSN.
• McGuffin M, Hobbs C, Upton R, Goldberg A, editors. 1997. American Herbal Products Association's Botanical Safety Handbook. Boca Raton (FL): CRC Press.
• McGuffin M, Kartesz JT, Leung AY, Tucker AO, editors. 2000. Herbs of Commerce, 2nd edition. Silver Spring (MD): American Herbal Products Association.
• Mills S, Bone K. 2000. Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Toronto (ON): Churchill Livingstone.
• PasseportSanté.net. 2007. Gattilier. [En ligne]. [Consulté le 12 mai 2010]. Disponible à : http://www.passeportsante.net/fr/Solutions/PlantesSupplements/Fiche.aspx?doc=gattilier_ps
• Ph. Eur. 2007: European Pharmacopoeia Commission. 2007. European Pharmacopoeia, 6th edition, Supplement 6.2. Strasbourg (FR): Directorate for the Quality of Medicines and HealthCare of the Council of Europe (EDQM).
• USDA 1998: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) [online database]. Vitex agnus castus L. Beltsville (MD): National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. [Accessed 2010 March 04]. Available from: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl
• USDA 2006: United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN) [online database]. Vitex agnus castus L. Beltsville (MD): National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. [Accessed 2010 March 04]. Available from: http://www.ars-grin.gov/cgi-bin/npgs/html/tax_search.pl
• USP 2009: United States Pharmacopeial Convention. 2009. The United States Pharmacopeia and the National Formulary (USP 32/NF 27). Rockville (MD): United States Pharmacopeial Convention, Inc.
• WHO 2009: World Health Organization. WHO Monographs on Selected Medicinal Plants, Volume 4. Geneva (CH): World Health Organization.
• Wichtl M, editor. 2004. Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals: A Handbook for Practice on a Scientific Basis, 3rd edition. Stuttgart (DE): Medpharm GmbH Scientific Publishers.

References reviewed

• Barnes J, Anderson LA, Philipson JD. 2007. Herbal Medicines, 3rd edition. London (GB): The Pharmaceutical Press.
• Brinker F. 2001. Herb Contraindications and Drug Interactions, 3rd edition. Sandy (OR): Eclectic Medical Publications.
• Ellingwood F. 1998. American Materia Medica, Therapeutics and Pharmacognosy. Sandy (OR): Eclectic Medical Publications; [Reprint of 1919 original].
• Felter HW, Lloyd JU. 1983. King's American Dispensatory, Volume 1, 18th edition. Sandy (OR): Eclectic Medical Publications; [Reprint of 1898 original].
• Hoffmann D. 2003. Medical Herbalism: The Science and Practice of Herbal Medicine. Rochester (VT): Healing Arts Press.

Appendix 1: Examples of appropriate dosage preparations, frequencies of use and directions for use

Fruit/berry:

For premenstrual symptoms:

Preparations equivalent to 30-240 mg of dried fruit, per day (ESCOP 2003)

For other use(s) or purpose(s):

Preparations equivalent to 30-40 mg of dried fruit, per day (ESCOP 2003)

Fluid extract:

• 500-1000 mg dried equivalent, per day (1:1, 70% alcohol, 0.5-1.0 ml) (WHO 2009)
• 30-40 mg dried equivalent, per day (1:1, 50-70% alcohol, 0.03-0.04 ml) (Blumenthal et al. 2000)

Tincture:

• 500 mg dried equivalent, per day (1:5, 58% ethanol, 2.5 ml) (WHO 2009)
• 40-240 mg dried equivalent, per day (Bradley 2006)
• 500 mg dried equivalent, 3 times per day (1:5, 60%, 2.5 ml) (Hoffmann 2004)
• 30-40 mg dried equivalent, per day (1:5, 50-70% alcohol, 0.15-0.2 ml) (Blumenthal et al. 2000)
• 200-1000 mg, per day (1:5, 1-5 ml) (Mills and Bone 2000)
• 500-2000 mg, per day (1:2, 1-4 ml) (Mills and Bone 2000)

Tablet:

500 mg dried fruit, 1-2 tablets per day (Mills and Bone 2000)

Dried extract:

Preparations equivalent to 40-240 mg of dried fruits, per day (50-70% ethanol) (Bradley 2006)