Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus L.): Diverse medicinal and therapeutic benefits to humankind

Abstract

The genus Catharanthus consists of eight species of which seven are native to Madagascar and one, C. pusillus, to India. Catharanthus roseus, Madagascar periwinkle is one of the few pharmacological plants that have a long history of therapeutic voyage from Mesopotamian folklore of 2600 BCE till today playing a considerable role as herbal and traditional medicine of various diseases. As previously published reviews on Madagascar periwinkle mostly concentrate on the pharmaceutical and chemical compounds of the herb, lack of information about the other features of the species is extremely tangible. This organised review provided insights into agro technological, biological, ecological, and medicinal aspects (particularly anticancer compounds) of Madagascar periwinkle along with possible pathways and mode of action. The diverse medicinal and therapeutic potentials of Catharanthus roseus have been revealed that this magical herb may be utilized to its full potential and future research orientation may be directed towards it.