I was almost tempted to drop discussions on this plant because as much as I tried, no one seems to know the indigenous names. And then, I said to myself, “What is in a name anyway?” It will be unfair not to expose this wonderful gift of nature to mankind because no one knows the local name.
Type Catharanthus roseus on Google and see how you will burst into laughter! Yes, it is a common flower. You have not even heard the shocking thing about it ; Vinblastine and vincristine, which are chemotherapy medications, used to treat several types of cancers are found in the plant! I do not usually add the English names of plants but I will do so now because someone might know it by its English name. It is commonly known as bright eyes, Cape periwinkle, graveyard plant, Madagascar periwinkle, old maid, pink periwinkle and rose periwinkle. It is a species of flowering plant in the family of Apocynaceae. It is native and endemic to Madagascar.
Before I proceed, let me share a story with you. It is not on the plant I am discussing. My sister, Mrs Damilola Elumade, saw the story on the wall of one of her Facebook friends and she shared it with me. A child in an African family in the Diaspora fell sick and was hospitalised. An elderly person cooked some herbs for him and put it in a coca-cola bottle because they will not allow the sick person to drink such at the hospital. The sick person’s recovery was so fast that it left the white doctors in shock. Poor doctors, they didn’t know that their patient took some herbal concoction! I can imagine the smile on the face of the person that prepared the herbs and the thought of, “you people have not seen anything yet, I am from Africa” that would be going through his mind. I told my sister that Africa is truly blessed with plants.
Back to the talk on Catharanthus roseus. It is one plant recognised well in Ayurveda (Ayurveda is the Indian traditional system of medicine which focuses on the medical potential of plants) where the extracts of its roots and shoots, though poisonous, are used against several diseases. It is known for its antitumour, anti-diabetic, anti-microbial, antioxidant and anti-mutagenic effects. In traditional Chinese medicine, extracts from it have been used against numerous diseases, including diabetes, malaria and Hodgkin’s lymphoma.The plant has been used for relieving muscle pain and depression of the central nervous system. It is also applied to wasp stings and to heal wounds.
The plant has been called a miracle in the prevention of childhood leukemia. In the 1950s, vinca alkaloids including vinblastine and vincristine were isolated from Catharanthus roseus when screening for anti-diabetic drugs. This discovery led to increased research into the chemotherapeutic effects of vinblastine and vincristine.
Extracts from the dried or wet flowers and leaves of the plants are applied as a paste on wounds in some rural communities. The fresh juice from the flowers of Catharanthus roseus made into a tea has been used by Ayurvedic physicians in India for external use to treat skin problems, dermatitis, eczema and acne Some people apply Madagascar periwinkle directly to the skin to stop bleeding; relieve insect bites, wasp stings, eye irritation and treat infections and swelling (inflammation).To make the tea, you need two teaspoon of dried herbs (which is a mixture of leaf, flower, stem, root etc.). Pour hot water into a cup and let it steep for about 10-15 minutes. Once it is done, strain to remove the herbs and your cup of periwinkle tea is ready.
The dried root is an industrial source of ajmalicine, which increases blood flow in the brain and peripheral parts of the body. Preparations of ajmalicine are used to treat the psychological and behavioural problems of senility, sensory problems (dizziness, tinnitus), cranial traumas and their neurological complications. The plant is also considered to be depurative, diaphoretic, diuretic, emetic, purgative and vermifuge. A decoction is taken to treat hypertension, asthma, menstrual irregularities, chronic constipation, diarrhoea, indigestion, dyspepsis, malaria, dengue fever, diabetes, cancer and skin diseases. Extracts prepared from the leaves have been used against haemorrhage, skin rash and as a mouthwash to treat toothache. The leaves are harvested when the plant is flowering and can be dried for later use. An infusion of the flowers is used to treat mild diabetes. A decoction of the roots is taken to treat dysmenorrhoea.
In Africa, medicinal uses of Catharanthus roseus are manifold and are similar to those in Asia. A decoction of all parts of Catharanthus roseus is well known as an oral hypoglycaemic agent. The decoction is also taken to treat malaria, dengue fever, diarrhoea, diabetes, cancer and skin diseases. Extracts prepared from the leaves have been applied as antiseptic agents for the healing of wounds, against haemorrhage and skin rash and as a mouthwash to treat toothache. The aerial parts are also considered diaphoretic and diuretic, and decoctions are taken to relieve indigestion, dyspepsia, dysentery, toothache and the effects of wasp stings and as an emetic, purgative, vermifuge and depurative. In Uganda, an infusion of the leaves is taken to treat stomach ulcers. In Botswana, the leaves, ground in milk are applied to mature abscesses. In Togo, a root decoction is taken to treat dysmenorrhoea. The aerial parts of the plant are used for the extraction of the medicinal alkaloids vincristine and vinblastine. Alkaloids extracted from the aerial parts of Catharanthus roseus are marketed as lyophilisates (solutions of salts) designed for intravenous application. Vindesine and vinorelbine, which are semi-synthetic derivatives of vinblastine, are marketed as a sulphate and a bitartrate respectively. These are prescription drugs in Western countries.
In a study titled, “The juice of fresh leaves of Catharanthus roseus Linn reduces blood glucose in normal and alloxan diabetic rabbits,’’ by Srinivas Nammi, the blood glucose lowering activity of the leaf juice was studied. Results showed that the leaf juice of Catharanthus roseus produced dose-dependent reduction in blood glucose of both normal and diabetic rabbits and comparable with that of the standard drug, glibenclamide. The conclusion of this study is that a significant antidiabetic activity was clearly indicated with the leaf juice of Catharanthus roseus and this supports the traditional usage of the fresh leaves by Ayurvedic physicians for the control of diabetes. In another study titled, “Catharanthus roseus flower extract has wound-healing activity in Sprague Dawley rats,’’ by Nayak et al, the antimicrobial and wound healing activity of the flower extract of Catharanthus in rats were evaluated. The results support the use of Catharanthus roseus in the topical management of wound healing.
Catharanthus roseus is regarded as a potentially toxic plant, so it should be used in moderation. It is true that it is colourful and attractive thus it is an ornamental plant grown for adding beauty to the environment. Still, always bear it in mind that it is more than a flower and one of the best gifts that nature has given to man because it is an anticancer drug yielding plant.
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