Agnuside found in Vitex herb or plant - an iridoid glycoside, role in menopause and women's health issues

Most published research uses standardized vitex agnus preparations, which are tested for potency based on their content of agnuside, one of the active components. Vitex agnus has several beneficial substances, therefore it is not necessary that the vitex extract preparation be standardized for agnuside. Vitex agnus is also known as chaste berry herb which can be purchased as a natural supplement. This product has a minimum of 0.5% agnuside.

Agnuside human studies
As of August 2009, we are not aware of any human studies that have used pure agnuside by itself.

Chaste Berry Supplement Facts:
Serving Size: 1 chaste berry capsule
Servings per bottle: 60

Amount per capsule:
Chaste Tree - 225 mg*
(Vitex agnus-castus)
Berry Extract Standardized to contain a minimum of 0.5% agnuside (1,130 mcg per capsule)

You can buy agnuside as found in the herb Chaste Berry.

Agnuside in vitex agnus-castus
The methanolic extract of the flowering stems of Vitex agnus-castus have iridoids: 6'-O-foliamenthoylmussaenosidic acid (agnucastoside A), 6'-O-(6,7-dihydrofoliamenthoyl)mussaenosidic acid (agnucastoside B) and 7-O-trans-p-coumaroyl-6'-O-trans-caffeoyl-8-epiloganic acid (agnucastoside C) in addition to aucubin, agnuside, mussaenosidic acid and 6'-O-p-hydroxybenzoylmussaenosidic acid, and one known phenylbutanone glucoside (myzodendrone).

Agnuside in vitex herb estrogenic activity
Evaluation of the estrogenic activity of the constituents in the fruits of Vitex rotundifolia L. for the potential treatment of premenstrual syndrome.
J Pharm Pharmacol. 2007 Sep. Department of Pharmacognosy, School of Pharmacy, Second Military Medical University, 325 Guohe Road, Shanghai 200433, China.
The ethanol extract of the fruits of Vitex rotundifolia and its four major compounds casticin, luteolin, rotundifuran and agnuside were tested for their estrogen-like activity by using the modified cell proliferation assay, as well as the estrogen receptor (ER(alpha)), estrogen receptor-regulated progesterone receptor and pS2 mRNA expression in MCF-7 cells. The results showed that only agnuside and rotundifuran could stimulate the proliferation of MCF-7 cells. These actions were dose dependent and could be significantly inhibited by the specific estrogen receptor antagonist ICI 182,780. The estrogen receptor ER(alpha) and the estrogen receptor-regulated progesterone receptor and pS2 mRNA levels were increased by treatment with rotundifuran and agnuside within 24 h, and the effects could be reversed by ICI 182,780. Vitex rotundifolia and its compounds showed estrogen-like activity and that the estrogenic effects of rotundifuran and agnuside were mediated by the estrogen inducible gene, which may be useful in regulating the hormone levels to treat related diseases. However, further studies are required to assess the physiological significance of Vitex rotundifolia in animals and man. Chaste berry and agnuside information and research will be available as more studies are publsihed.

Chaste berry medical uses
Chaste berry herb is used by women at different times for various conditions including occasional help for premenstrual syndrome. Chaste berry (sometimes spelled chasteberry) contains several different constituents, including agnuside, flavonoids, iridoid glycosides, and terpenoids.

A new iridoid glycoside from Vitex negundo Linn (Verbenacea).
Nat Prod Res. 2009; Sharma RL, Prabhakar A, Dhar KL, Sachar A. Department of Chemistry, University of Jammu, Jammu-180004, India.
Five compounds have been isolated from the leaves of Vitex negundo Linn (Verbenacea) and their structures established by spectral analysis. Compound 1 has been identified and characterised as a new iridoid with a novel structure which has never before been reported in literature from Vitex or any other source. Its structure has been established as 1,4a,5,7a-tetrahydro-1-beta-D-glucosyl-7-(3',4'-dihydroxybenzoyloxymethyl)-5-ketocyclopenta[c]pyran-4-carboxylic acid. Other compounds, 2, 3, 4 and 5, have been identified as luteolin-7-O-beta-D glucoside, nishindaside, negundoside, and agnuside, respectively. Compound 2, a flavone-O-glycoside, is being reported from this plant for the first time, and compounds 3, 4 and 5 are structurally known iridoids.

5-htp home pill capsules