Catharanthus roseus L. (Periwinkle): An herb with impressive health benefits and pharmacological therapeutic effects

Abstract

Medicinal plants, which contain a variety of phytochemicals, have proven to be effective and safe alternatives to synthetic drugs for the treatment of infectious and chronic diseases. Catharanthus roseus L. It increases amounts of interest due to the discovery that it contains a variety of phytochemicals with a range of biological functions, including as an anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and antidiabetic quality. Vinblastine and vincristin isolated in particular the first plants from this plant that were used as clinically effective anticancer medicines were developed from it. Furthermore, the isolated vindoline, vindolidine, vindolicine, and vindolinine from C. roseus leaves were shown to have anti-diabetic properties. These findings imply that the plant still has the potential to be a valuable source of bioactive substances. This article provides a summary of the current health benefits as well as information on the historical and present-day uses of C. roseus in medicine. The bioactive compounds and extracts from this plant have also been investigated for their potential as pharmaceuticals.