IDENTIFICATION OF TREAD WENCH (Catharanthus roseus)

 TREAD WENCH (Catharanthus roseus)

Catharanthus is a perennial tropical medicinal plant belonging to the Family Apocynaceae which comprises eight species, seven endemic to Madagascar (C. Coriaceus, C. Lanceus, C. Longifolius, C. Ovalis, C. Roseus, C. Scitulus, C. Trichophyllus), and one, C. Pusillus, from India. Specifically, C. Roseus is a decorative and curing plant of enormous pharmaceutical interest because it is nothing less than a chemical factory, producing more than 130 different terpenoid indole alkaloids (tias), some of which exhibit strong and important pharmacological activities . In fact, vinblastine and vincristine are commercial tias used in anticancer chemotherapy, and together with a number of related semi-synthetic compounds, are collectively named the Vinca alkaloids. Currently, vinblastine, vincristine, vinorelbine and vindesine have been used in clinical trials, although only vinblastine, vincristine and vinorelbine have been approved for medical treatment in the United States. Vinflunine, a fluorinated analogue of vinorelbine, has been approved in Europe. Vincristine and vinblastine also show a strong antimicrobial activity. In addition, C. Roseus also produces ajmalicine and serpentine, which are monoterpenic indole alkaloids used as anti-hypertensive and anti-neuro-inflammatory agents, yohimbine which is mainly used in treatments for erectile dysfunction, and vindolicine used for the development of antidiabetic therapeutics (Almagro, 2015).

Morphological character

Habitus: shrub is low; plant height is 10-33cm. Diameter of stem <2cm; cylindrical stem shape; green bang color; bare stem surface; spreading leaf layout; stem length 5-30cm; green leaf stem color. Flat leaf base; serrated leaf edge; pointed leaf tip; leaf tip surface green; leaf surface color is pale green; pinnate leaf reinforcement. The position of the flower grows at the tip; single flower; sticky petals.

Classification

Kingdom          : Plantae

Division           : Magnoliophyta

Class                : Magnoliopsida

Order               : Gentianales

Family             : Apocynaceae

Genus              : Catharanthus

Species            : C. Roseus

Reference :

         Almagro, L., Fernández-Pérez, F., & Pedreño, M. A., 2015. Indole alkaloids from Catharanthus roseus: bioproduction and their effect on human health. Molecules, 20(2), pp.2973-3000.