General Information & Medicinal Uses ofCatharanthus roseus

Presented by,Paurnima Vikas Mohite.

S. Y. B. Sc. ForestryCollege Of Forestry Dapoli.

TaxonomyKingdom : PlantaePhylum : MagnoliopsidaClass : MagnoliopsidaOrder : GentianalesFamily : ApocynaceaeGenus :CatharanthusSpecies : roseus

Common Names : Madagascar periwinkle, Rosy periwinkle, Cape periwinkle, old-maid.

Morphology and Distribution :

Evergreen sub-shrub or herbaceous plant(1 m. tall).

Cylindrical stem. Leaves are oval to oblong and

oppositely arranged. White to dark pink flowers

with dark centre. Fruits are pair of follicle(2-4

cm. long & 3 mm. broad).

It is native and endemic to Madagascar.

It is found all over India.

Chemical Constitution :Rosinidin is an anthocyanidin pigment

found in the flowers.

It contains group of alkaloids, which is extremely toxic, had potential use in cancer treatment.

The best known of these are ‘Vincristine’ and ‘Vinblastine’.

To date, it has not been possible to manufacture these compounds synthetically.

Medicinal uses :In Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese

Medicine it is used against numerous diseases.

It has been used for relieving muscle pain, applying to wasp sting and to heal wound, stomach ache, etc.

All part of it have been used in regional herbal medicine.

Alkaloids are extracted from whole dried plant.

Insect stings are relieved using a juice from leaves.

Extract from flowers used as an eye wash for infants.

Flowers are used for treating asthma and gases.

• Alkaloid Vinblastine :- anti-tumour properties. Used to treat Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

• Alkaloid vincristine :- To treat leukemia in children.

• Laboratory studies suggest that,o C. roseus have potential for treating diabetes.o Antibacterial properties in leaves.o Flower petals and seeds exhibit antioxidant

property.

Other uses :It is widely cultivated for ornamental

purpose.It is noted for its long flower period.Now it is available in variety of colours.

It is used in plant pathology as an experimental host for phytoplasmas.

Because it is easy to infect by majority of phytoplasmas.

Propagation :C. roseus readily germinates from seeds.Seed germination takes one week at warm

temperature.It can also be propagated vegetative

method by soft wood cutting.Flowers are pollinated by butterflies and

moths.Pruning is necessary to maintain good

shape.Full sun and well drained soil is preferred.

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