ABSTRACT
Catharanthus roseus, in the family Apocynaceae, is commonly known as the Madagascar periwinkle and sometimes is referred to as the Cayenne jasmine, old maid and rosy periwinkle. It has provided the world with a most important range of anti-cancer drugs, collectively known as the vinca alkaloids, which are still the mainstay of treatment in a variety of malignant diseases, in particular leukaemias, sixty years after their discovery. Catharanthus roseus contains several terpene indole alkaloids of great biochemical value, including ajmalicine, catharanthine and vindoline as well as vinblastine and vincristine. These have probably evolved as protective chemicals to deter herbivores, as they are extremely bitter to taste. All the vinca alkaloids bind to intracellular tubulin at a specific site and prevent the formation of the mitotic spindle, so cell division is disrupted and leads to cell death. All the alkaloids are routinely given by the intravenous route where they can cause great irritation to the vein walls.
