Also known as uvalama Ahuilote is endemic to Mexico and southern United States.
The heart of the Ahuilote is added to Guamuchil tree bark (Pithecellobium dulce), Tepehuaje (Lysiloma acapulcensis), and the quebraplato (Solanum nigrum) and made into a tea to treat diarrhea three times daily until resolved. The fruit is used for improving eyesight.
Ahuilote fruit is high in dietary fiber and chromium, with seeds high in copper, chromium, and zinc (Montiel-Herra et al, 2003). Vitex mollis has antiprotozoal activity (Tapia-Pérez et al., 2003), and the organic leaf extract has insecticidal activity against armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), corn pest. (Rodríguez-López et al., 2007).
Hernández, E.; Pelz, D. R. and Rodríguez, C. 2006. Inventorying and monitoring of tropical dry forests tree diversity in Jalisco, Mexico using a geographical information system. In: Aguirre-Bravo, C.; Pellicane, Patrick J.; Burns, Denver P.; and Draggan, Sidney, Eds. 2006. Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium: Unifying Knowledge for Sustainability in the Western Hemisphere Proceedings RMRS-P-42CD. Fort Collins, CO: USA. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 638-648. pp. Howell, D. C. 2010. Statistical methods for psychology. 7th (Ed.). Wadsworth, USA. 792 p. Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/342184419_Inventorying_and_Monitoring_of_Tropical_Dry_Forests_Tree_Diversity_in_Jalisco_Mexico_Using_a_Geographical_Information_System
Montiel-Herrera, M., Camacho-Hernández, I. L., Rı́os-Morgan, A., & Delgado-Vargas, F. (2004). Partial physicochemical and nutritional characterization of the fruit of Vitex mollis (Verbenaceae). Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 17(2), 205–215. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfca.2003.09.001
Morales-Del-Rio, J. A., Gutiérrez-Lomelí, M., Robles-García, M. A., Aguilar, J. A., Lugo-Cervantes, E., Guerrero-Medina, P. J., Ruiz-Cruz, S., Cinco-Moroyoqui, F. J., Wong-Corral, F. J., & Del-Toro-Sánchez, C. L. (2015). Anti-Inflammatory Activity and Changes in Antioxidant Properties of Leaf and Stem Extracts fromVitex mollisKunth duringIn VitroDigestion. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2015, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/349235
Rodríguez-López, V., Figueroa-Suárez, M., Rodríguez, T., & Aranda, E. (2007). Insecticidal activity of Vitex mollis. Fitoterapia, 78(1), 37–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fitote.2006.09.020
Tapia-Pérez, M., Tapia-Contreras, A., Cedillo-Rivera, R., Osuna, L., & Meckes, M. (2003). Screening of Mexican Medicinal Plants for Antiprotozoal Activity – Part II. Pharmaceutical Biology, 41(3), 180–183. https://doi.org/10.1076/phbi.41.3.180.15100