''Catharanthus roseus'', commonly known as bright eyes, Cape periwinkle, graveyard plant, Madagascar periwinkle, old maid, pink periwinkle, rose periwinkle, is a

perennial In horticulture, the term perennial ('' per-'' + '' -ennial'', "through the year") is used to differentiate a plant from shorter-lived annuals and biennials. It has thus been defined as a plant that lives more than 2 years. The term is also ...

species of

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

in the family

Apocynaceae Apocynaceae (, from '' Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Notable mem ...

. It is native and

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

Madagascar Madagascar, officially the Republic of Madagascar, is an island country that includes the island of Madagascar and numerous smaller peripheral islands. Lying off the southeastern coast of Africa, it is the world's List of islands by area, f ...

, but is grown elsewhere as an ornamental and

medicinal plant Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times. Plants synthesize hundreds of chemical compounds for various functions, including Plant defense against h ...

, and now has a

pantropical A pantropical ("all tropics") distribution is one which covers tropical regions of both the Eastern and Western hemispheres. Examples of species include caecilians, modern sirenians and the plant genera ''Acacia'' and ''Bacopa''. ''Neotropical' ...

distribution. It is a source of the drugs

vincristine Vincristine, also known as leurocristine and sold under the brand name Oncovin among others, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of types of cancer. This includes acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, Hodgkin lym ...

and

vinblastine Vinblastine, sold under the brand name Velban among others, is a chemotherapy medication, typically used with other medications, to treat a number of types of cancer. This includes Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, bladder canc ...

, used to treat cancer. It was formerly included in the genus ''

Vinca ''Vinca'' (; Latin: ''vincire'' "to bind, fetter") is an Old World genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, The English name periwinkle is shared with the related genus '' Catharanthus'' (and with the mollusc '' Littorina littorea'') ...

'' as ''Vinca rosea''. It has many vernacular names among which are ''arivotaombelona'' or ''rivotambelona'', ''tonga'', ''tongatse'' or ''trongatse'', ''tsimatiririnina'', and ''vonenina''.

Taxonomy

Two varieties are recognized * ''Catharanthus roseus'' var. ''roseus'' : Synonymy for this variety ::''Catharanthus roseus'' var. ''angustus'' Steenis ex Bakhuizen f. :: ''Catharanthus roseus'' var. ''albus'' G.Don G.Don, Gen. Hist. 4(1): 95. 1837. :: ''Catharanthus roseus'' var. ''occellatus'' G.Don :: ''Catharanthus roseus'' var. ''nanus'' Markgr. :: ''Lochnera rosea f. alba'' (G.Don) Woodson :: ''Lochnera rosea'' var. ''ocellata'' (G.Don) Woodson * ''Catharanthus roseus var''. ''angustus'' (Steenis) Bakh. f. : Synonymy for this variety :: ''Catharanthus roseus'' var. ''nanus'' Markgr. :: ''Lochnera rosea'' var. ''angusta'' Steenis

Evolution

Following the Jurassic period approximately 185 million years ago, the supercontinent

Gondwana Gondwana ( ; ) was a large landmass, sometimes referred to as a supercontinent. The remnants of Gondwana make up around two-thirds of today's continental area, including South America, Africa, Antarctica, Australia (continent), Australia, Zea ...

separated into two distinct geographic areas: east Gondwana (Madagascar, Antarctica, Australia and the Indian subcontinent) and west Gondwana (Africa, South America), leading to the geographic location of the island of

. It is now known as one of the fourth largest islands in the world, developing its own extraordinary biodiversity in isolation. This has led to unique species and a diverse array of approximately 15000 plants and over 10000 angiosperm species, 84% being endemic to Madagascar. It was within this ecosystem that the periwinkle came to existence. The presence of over 200

alkaloids Alkaloids are a broad class of naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids. Alkaloids are produced by a large variety of organisms i ...

within the plant, including vinblastine and vincristine and their use in cancer drugs, are a result of the plant's response to environmental threats and pressures. Studies have shown that compounds isolated from C. roseus are examples of secondary

metabolites In biochemistry, a metabolite is an intermediate or end product of metabolism. The term is usually used for small molecules. Metabolites have various functions, including fuel, structure, signaling, stimulatory and inhibitory effects on enzymes, c ...

, which have contributed to the plant's ability to defend itself against

herbivores A herbivore is an animal anatomically and physiologically evolved to feed on plants, especially upon vascular tissues such as foliage, fruits or seeds, as the main component of its diet. These more broadly also encompass animals that eat ...

and other pathogens, allowing it an advantage from predators or other pathogens within their immediate environment. These secondary metabolites would contrast from primary metabolites used for growth and development. Studies have shown that biosynthetic pathways, such as

catharanthine Catharanthine is a terpene indole alkaloid produced by the medicinal plant '' Catharanthus roseus'' and '' Tabernaemontana divaricata''. Catharanthine is derived from strictosidine, but the exact mechanism by which this happens is currently unkn ...

and vindoline, accumulate separately in the plant, allowing for it to evade common pests such as Egyptian Cotton leafworm, Spodoptera littoralis. Within single cell genome analysis, gene clusters within C. roseus have been identified through MIA biosynthesis, including the Vinca alkaloids. Within plants, the genome evolved through different forms of gene duplication, which involved either whole chromosomes, segmental duplications, tandem or dispersed duplications. Millions of years of evolution led to the encoding of the enzymes for the complex biosynthetic pathways we see in C. roseus, which further accounts for the many compounds synthesized, as well as recent studies highlighting the role of random spontaneous mutations further influencing a plant's genetic information.

Description

''Catharanthus roseus'' is an evergreen

subshrub A subshrub (Latin ''suffrutex'') or undershrub is either a small shrub (e.g. prostrate shrubs) or a perennial that is largely herbaceous but slightly woody at the base (e.g. garden pink and florist's chrysanthemum). The term is often interch ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

plant growing tall. The leaves are oval to oblong, long and wide, glossy green, hairless, with a pale midrib and a short petiole long; they are arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers range from white with a yellow or red center to dark pink with a darker red center, with a basal tube long and a corolla diameter with five petal-like lobes. The fruit is a pair of follicles long and wide.Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening''. Macmillan .Flora of China
''Catharanthus roseus''
/ref>College of Micronesia

/ref>Jepson Flora
''Catharanthus roseus''
/ref

Ecology

In its natural range along the dry coasts of southern Madagascar, Catharanthus roseus is considered weedy and invasive, often self-seeding prolifically in disturbed areas along roadsides and in fallow fields. It is also, however, widely cultivated and is naturalisation (biology), naturalized in subtropical and tropical areas of the world such as Australia,

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

, India,

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

, and the United States. It is so well adapted to growth in Australia that it is listed as a noxious weed in

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

and the

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory until 1938, is an internal States and territories of Australia, territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory, an ...

, and also in parts of eastern Queensland. Catharanthus roseus 105

Cultivation

As an ornamental plant, it is appreciated for its hardiness in dry and nutritionally deficient conditions, popular in subtropical

garden A garden is a planned space, usually outdoors, set aside for the cultivation, display, and enjoyment of plants and other forms of nature. The single feature identifying even the wildest wild garden is ''control''. The garden can incorporate bot ...

s where temperatures never fall below , and as a warm-season bedding plant in temperate gardens. It is noted for its long flowering period, throughout the year in tropical conditions, and from spring to late autumn, in warm temperate climates. Full sun and well-drained soil are preferred. Numerous

cultivar A cultivar is a kind of Horticulture, cultivated plant that people have selected for desired phenotypic trait, traits and which retains those traits when Plant propagation, propagated. Methods used to propagate cultivars include division, root a ...

s have been selected, for variation in flower colour (white, mauve, peach, scarlet, and reddish-orange), and also for tolerance of cooler growing conditions in temperate regions. Notable cultivars include 'Albus' (white flowers), 'Grape Cooler' (rose-pink; cool-tolerant), the Ocellatus Group (various colours), and 'Peppermint Cooler' (white with a red centre; cool-tolerant). In the U.S. it often remains identified as "Vinca" although botanists have shifted its identification and it often can be seen growing along roadsides in the south. In the United Kingdom it has gained the

Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr ...

Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. It includes the full range of cultivated p ...

(confirmed 2017).

Uses

Traditional

Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...

(Indian traditional medicine) the extracts of its roots and shoots, although poisonous, are used against several diseases. In

traditional Chinese medicine Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an alternative medicine, alternative medical practice drawn from traditional medicine in China. A large share of its claims are pseudoscientific, with the majority of treatments having no robust evidence ...

, extracts from it have been used against numerous diseases, including

diabetes Diabetes mellitus, commonly known as diabetes, is a group of common endocrine diseases characterized by sustained high blood sugar levels. Diabetes is due to either the pancreas not producing enough of the hormone insulin, or the cells of th ...

malaria Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...

, and

Hodgkin's lymphoma Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, where multinucleated Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells) are present in the lymph nodes. The condition was named a ...

. In the 1950s,

vinca alkaloid ''Vinca'' alkaloids are a set of Antimitotic agent, anti-mitotic and Anti-microtubule activity, anti-microtubule alkaloid agents originally derived from the periwinkle plant ''Catharanthus roseus'' (basionym ''Vinca rosea'') and other ''vinca'' p ...

s, including

and

, were isolated from ''Catharanthus roseus'' while screening for anti-diabetic drugs. This chance discovery led to increased research into the chemotherapeutic effects of vinblastine and vincristine. Conflict between historical indigenous use, and a

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an sufficiency of disclosure, enabling discl ...

from 2001 on ''C. roseus''-derived drugs by

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

pharmaceutical companies, without compensation, has led to accusations of

biopiracy Biopiracy (also known as scientific colonialism ) is the unauthorized appropriation of knowledge and genetic resources of farming and indigenous communities by individuals or institutions seeking exclusive monopoly control through patents or in ...

Medicinal

Vinblastine Vinblastine, sold under the brand name Velban among others, is a chemotherapy medication, typically used with other medications, to treat a number of types of cancer. This includes Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-small-cell lung cancer, bladder canc ...

and

, chemotherapy medications used to treat several types of cancers, are found in the plant and are

biosynthesis Biosynthesis, i.e., chemical synthesis occurring in biological contexts, is a term most often referring to multi-step, enzyme-Catalysis, catalyzed processes where chemical substances absorbed as nutrients (or previously converted through biosynthe ...

ed from the coupling of the alkaloids

and vindoline. The newer semi-synthetic chemotherapeutic agent

vinorelbine Vinorelbine, sold under the brand name Navelbine among others, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of types of cancer. This includes breast cancer and non-small cell lung cancer. It is given by injection into a vein or by mout ...

, used in the treatment of

non-small-cell lung cancer Non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC), or non-small-cell lung carcinoma, is any type of epithelial lung cancer other than small-cell lung cancer (SCLC). NSCLC accounts for about 85% of all lung cancers. As a class, NSCLCs are relatively insensitiv ...

, can be prepared either from vindoline and catharanthine or from the ''vinca'' alkaloid leurosine, in both cases via anhydrovinblastine. The insulin-stimulating vincoline has been isolated from the plant.

Research

Despite the medical importance and wide use, the desired

alkaloid Alkaloids are a broad class of natural product, naturally occurring organic compounds that contain at least one nitrogen atom. Some synthetic compounds of similar structure may also be termed alkaloids. Alkaloids are produced by a large varie ...

s (vinblastine and vincristine) are naturally produced at very low yields. Additionally, it is complex and costly to synthesize the desired products in a lab, resulting in difficulty satisfying the demand and a need for overproduction. Treatment of the plant with

phytohormones Plant hormones (or phytohormones) are signal molecules, produced within plants, that occur in extremely low concentrations. Plant hormones control all aspects of plant growth and development, including embryogenesis, the regulation of organ size ...

, such as

salicylic acid Salicylic acid is an organic compound with the formula HOC6H4COOH. A colorless (or white), bitter-tasting solid, it is a precursor to and a active metabolite, metabolite of acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin). It is a plant hormone, and has been lis ...

and methyl jasmonate, have been shown to trigger defense mechanisms and overproduce downstream alkaloids. Studies using this technique vary in growth conditions, choice of phytohormone, and location of treatment. Concurrently, there are various efforts to map the biosynthetic pathway producing the alkaloids to find a direct path to overproduction via

genetic engineering Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of Genetic engineering techniques, technologies used to change the genet ...

. ''C. roseus'' is used in

plant pathology Plant pathology or phytopathology is the scientific study of plant diseases caused by pathogens (infectious organisms) and environmental conditions (physiological factors). Plant pathology involves the study of pathogen identification, disease ...

as an experimental

host A host is a person responsible for guests at an event or for providing hospitality during it. Host may also refer to: Places * Host, Pennsylvania, a village in Berks County * Host Island, in the Wilhelm Archipelago, Antarctica People * ...

for

phytoplasma Phytoplasmas are obligate intracellular parasites of plant phloem tissue and of the insect vectors that are involved in their plant-to-plant transmission. Phytoplasmas were discovered in 1967 by Japanese scientists who termed them mycoplasma-li ...

s. This is because it is easy to infect with a large majority of phytoplasmas, and also often has very distinctive symptoms such as phyllody and significantly reduced leaf size. In 1995 and 2006 Malagasy agronomists and American political ecologists studied the production of Catharanthus roseus around Fort Dauphin and Ambovombe and its export as a natural source of the alkaloids used to make

and other

cancer drugs. Their research focused on the wild collection of periwinkle roots and leaves from roadsides and fields and its industrial cultivation on large farms.

Biology

Rosinidin is the pink anthocyanidin pigment found in the flowers of ''C. roseus''. Lochnericine is a major alkaloid in roots.

Toxicity

''C. roseus'' can be extremely toxic if consumed orally by humans, and is cited (under its synonym ''Vinca rosea'') in the Louisiana State Act 159. All parts of the plant are poisonous. On consumption, symptoms consist of mild stomach cramps, cardiac complications,

hypotension Hypotension, also known as low blood pressure, is a cardiovascular condition characterized by abnormally reduced blood pressure. Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the walls of the arteries as the heart pumps out blood and is ...

, systematic paralysis eventually leading to death. According to French botanist Pierre Boiteau, its poisonous properties are made known along generations of

Malagasy people The Malagasy ( or ) are a group of Austronesian-speaking ethnic groups indigenous to the island country of Madagascar, formed through generations of interaction between Austronesians originally from southern Borneo and Bantus from Southeast ...

as a poison consumed in ordeal trials, even before the tangena fruit was used. This lent the flower one of its names ''vonenina'', from meaning "flower of remorse".

Gallery

File:Madagascar periwinkle bdl8.jpg, Deep-red ''Catharanthus roseus'' File:Catharanthus roseus grown in a balcony.jpg, This one was grown in Bangladesh as an ornamental plant in a flower tub in the balcony of a house File:Madagascar periwinkle bdl2.jpg, Off-white ''Catharanthus roseus'' File:Madagascar periwinkle bdl1.jpg, White with red-centered ''Catharanthus roseus'' File:Madagascar periwinkle bdl0.jpg, Red ''Catharanthus roseus'' File:Catharanthus roseus Madagascar periwinkle White.JPG, White periwinkle with thin petals File:Catharanthus roseus in Kerala.jpeg, Catharanthus roseus in Kerala File:Madagascar periwinkle bdl.jpg, Purple ''Catharanthus roseus'' File:Vinca Catharanthus roseus in Bangladesh.JPG, ''Periwinkle'' From a garden at

Cox's Bazar Cox's Bazar (; ; ) is a city, fishing port, tourism centre, and Cox's Bazar District, district headquarters in south-eastern Bangladesh. Cox's Bazar Beach, one of the most popular tourist attractions in Bangladesh, is the longest uninterrupte ...

, Bangladesh File:Rose Periwinkle.jpg, Catharanthus roseus in Ishwardi, Bangladesh File:Catharanthus roseus flower bud, Burdwan, West Bengal, India 12 09 2012.JPG, Flower bud in

West Bengal West Bengal (; Bengali language, Bengali: , , abbr. WB) is a States and union territories of India, state in the East India, eastern portion of India. It is situated along the Bay of Bengal, along with a population of over 91 million inhabi ...

, India File:Nithyaklalyani.jpg, Periwinkle Plant in India File:Nayantara.jpg, Common periwinkle plant in India File:Catharanthus roseus-1.jpg, Catharanthus roseus in Pakistan File:Catharanthus roseus at FELDA Sungai Sayong, Johor 20250401 130424.jpg, Grown in Malaysia File:Nithyakalyani India.jpg, Flower plant raised in India temples File:Catharanthus roseus MHNT.BOT.2005.0962.jpg, Seed pod and seeds File:Matured seeds of Madagascar Periwinkle.jpg, Matured fruits of Madagascar Periwinkle File:Immature seeds of Madagascar periwinkle.jpg, Immature fruits of Madagascar periwinkle File:Catharanthus roseus Pacifica Burgundy Halo-Madagascar Periwinkle.JPG, Pacifica Burgundy Halo – Madagascar Periwinkle File:Catharanthus roseus-Red flowers of Madagascar Periwinkle 2.JPG, Red cultivar of Madagascar Periwinkle File:Catharanthus Periwinkle.jpg, Potted Plant in

New Delhi New Delhi (; ) is the Capital city, capital of India and a part of the Delhi, National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCT). New Delhi is the seat of all three branches of the Government of India, hosting the Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Parliament ...

File:Pollens of Catharanthus roseus.jpg, Seeds File:Madagascar Periwinkle white.jpg, A fully bloomed white plant File:Catharanthus roseus24 08 2012 (1).JPG File:Periwinkle1.jpg, A rare mutation of Periwinkle flower which causes an additional petal(6), found in

Chandannagar Chandannagar (), also known by its former names Chandannagore and Chandernagor (), is a city in the Hooghly district in the Indian state of West Bengal. It is headquarter of the Chandannagore subdivision and is a part of the area covered by Ko ...

References

https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-51620-2_7

External links

* * {{Authority control roseus Endemic flora of Madagascar Plants used in traditional Chinese medicine Plants described in 1759