Assessment of the Therapeutic Potential, Antioxidant, Antidiabetic, and Analgesic Properties of Vitex trifolia

Vitex trifolia , a plant traditionally utilized for treating ailments such as chronic colds, coughs, dysentery, mastitis, and liver disorders, was evaluated for its antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties in this study. Phytochemical analysis of the leaf extracts revealed high levels of total phenolics (95.12 mg GAE/g) and flavonoids (42.50 mg QE/g). The in vitro assays demonstrated significant antioxidant activity, with 77.85% DPPH radical scavenging at 100 µg/mL and 73.33% nitric oxide radical scavenging at 1000 µg/mL. The extracts also exhibited potent antidiabetic effects, inhibiting α-amylase by 67.25% at 100 µg/mL, and strong anti-inflammatory activity, with 70.25% inhibition of albumin denaturation at 800 µg/mL. In vivo analgesic activity was confirmed through acetic acid-induced writhing and tail-flick assays in mice, where significant reductions in writhing responses were observed at doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg, comparable to diclofenac sodium. Additionally, the extract reduced glutamate-induced nociception by 40.91% and 55.64% at doses of 50 mg/kg and 100 mg/kg, respectively, in the tail-flick test. These findings suggest that V. trifolia has significant therapeutic potential, exhibiting strong antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic effects.