Most people don’t know that two compounds found in this perennial plant are the second most-used class of chemotherapy meds, and have been in use since the 1960s. Plus, they’re essential for treating diabetes and hypertension, too. Once you know, you won’t look at this flowering plant the same way again.
STORY AT-A-GLANCE Compounds found in rosy periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), a perennial plant native to Madagascar, form the basis for a number of commonly used cancer drugs that have been in use since the 1960s
Of the 70 different alkaloids found in periwinkle, the two primary compounds used in anticancer drugs are the powerful vinca alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine
Vincristine and vinblastine are both included in the World Health Organization’s list of essential medicines
Other medicinal applications include the treatment of diabetes and hypertension. Their cytotoxic effects have gained the greatest attention, however
Vinblastine is an integral part of anticancer regimens against testicular cancer, Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin lymphomas, breast cancer and germ cell tumors. Vincristine is approved for the treatment of acute leukemia, rhabdomyosarcoma, neuroblastoma, Wilm’s tumor, Hodgkin’s disease and other lymphomas, as well as several nonmalignant blood disorders Many modern drugs are derived from purified and concentrated plant compounds (although compared to 20 years ago, few drug companies expend time and money looking at medicinal plant chemistry these days). Rosy periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), for example, a perennial plant native to Madagascar, is the basis for a number of commonly used cancer drugs that have been in use since the 1960s.1…