Common Names:
Periwinkle
Madagascar periwinkle
Cape Periwinkle
Old Maid

Classification:

Catharanthus roseus (L.)G.Don
Kingdom: Plantae-Plants
Subkingdom: Tracheobionta-Vascular plants
Superdivision: Spermatophyta-Seed plants
Division: Magnoliophyta-Flowering plants
Class: Magnoliopsida-Dicotyledons
Subclass: Asteridae
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae-Dogbane family
Genus:Catharanthus G.Don-Periwinkle
Species: Catharanthus roseus (L.)G.Don-Madagascar periwinkle
(National Plant database.2003.)

The blooms of the natural wild plants are a pale pink with a purple "eye" in their centers.
(Magic and Medicine of Plants.1993).

(Magic and Medicine of Plants.1993;Chevallier,A.1996.The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants.)

In India, they treated wasp sting with the juice from the leaves.In Hawai'i they prescribed an extract of the boiled plant to arrest bleeding.
In Central America and parts of South America, they made a gargle to ease soar throats and chest ailments and laryngitis.
In Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and other islands, an extract of the flower was commonly administered as an eyewash for the eyes of infants.
In Africa, leaves are used for menorrhagia and rheumatism.
Surinamese boil ten leves and ten flowers together for diabetes.
Bahamians take flower decoction for asthma and flatulence, and the entire plant for tuberculosis.
In Mauritius, the leaves infusion s given for dyspepsia and indigestion.
In Vietnamit, is taken for diabetes and malaria.
Curacao and Bermuda natives take the plant for high blood pressure.
Indochinese use the stalks and leaves for dysmenorrhea.
(Duke,J.A.Handbook of Medicinal Herbs.1985;Magic and Medicine of Plants.1993).


** The information provided above is not intended to be used as a guide for treatment of medical conditions using plants.

The interst began in the mid-1950's, when researchers, hearing of a "periwinkle tea" that was drunk in Jamaica, began to study the plant for its reported antidiabetic properties.

Extracts of entire dried plant contain many alkaloids of medicinal use. The principal alkaloid is vinblastine, or vincaleukoblastine (vinblastine sulfate), sold as Velban. The alkaloid has growth inhibition effects in certain human tumors. Vinblastine is used experimentally for treatment of neoplasms, and is recomanded for generalized Hodgkin's disease and resistant choricarcinoma.
Another pharmacologically important alkaloid is vincristine sulfate or vincristine, sold as Oncovin. Vincristine is used in treatment of leukemia in children.

Using vinblastine and vincristine in combination chemotherapy has resulted in 80% remission in Hodgkin's disease, 99% remission in acute lymphocitic leukemia, 80% remission in Wilm's tumor, 70% remission in gestational choricarcinoma, and 50% remission in Burkitt's lymphoma.

There are over 70 other alkaloid that have been isolated from the plant in addition to vinblastine and vincristine.
Synthetic vincristine, used to treat leukemia, is only 20% as effective as the natural product derived from Catharanthus roseus.
Further research is needed especially on bioactive compounds, means of preparation, and effectiveness of plants and herbal remedies.
(Duke,J.A.Handbook of Medicinal Herbs.1985;Magic and Medicine of Plants.1993).