Archives

Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don known as “The Madagascar periwinkle”. It is a popular ornamental
plant found in gardens and homes across the warmer parts of the world. Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.
Don, which also known as “an anticancerous drug yielding plant” is a tropical and subtropical plant
belonging to the family Apocynaceae.
This review highlights the marvelous properties of this plant. The alkaloids like Vinblastine and
vincristine are mainly present in aerial parts of C. roseus, which are used in treatment of various human
cancers, so it is considered as mile stone in cancer chemotherapy. Apart from this it shows anti-diabetic,
anti-bacterial, anti-oxidant, anti-ulcer and anti-diarrheal properties. Stems and leaves of C.roseus have
enormous amount of phytochemical constituents. It is found to be endangered so, it is the topic of
conservation also.
Keywords: - Catharanthus roseus, therapeutic, anti-cancer, vinblastine and vincristine.