View source for Madagascar Periwinkle

Other Names : Catharanthus roseus, Vinca major, bright eyes, Cape periwinkle, graveyard plant, old maid, pink periwinkle, rose periwinkle, Zhang Chun Hua, Evergreen, Early-flowering<br>See also : [[Zhang Chun Hua]]
==Special Precautions of Madagascar Periwinkle==
*Contain a group of alkaloids including vinchristine and vinblastine both of which are used in chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is, of course, controlled poisoning.

==Health benefits and Uses of Madagascar Periwinkle==
In unevidenced herbal medicine, Vinca major has been used to treat high blood pressure and control excessive bleeding.
*Ayurveda : 
**Traditional uses have included: cancer, diabetes and ocular inflammation.
**Its main use is in the treatment of excessive menstrual flow, either during the period itself or with blood loss between periods.
**A homeopathic remedy is made from the fresh leaves; it is used in the treatment of haemorrhages.
**It contains the alkaloid "vincamine", which is used by the pharmaceutical industry as a cerebral stimulant and vasodilator.
**It can be used in digestive problems such as colitis or diarrhoea where it will act to reduce the loss of fluid or blood whilst toning the membranes.
**It may also be used in cases of nose bleed, bleeding gums, mouth ulcers or sore throats.
**Made into an ointment, useful for piles and inflammatory conditions of the skin.
**Periwinkle contains "reserpine", which reduces high blood pressure.
**It was used as a folk remedy for diabetes and the juice from the leaves was used to treat wasp stings.
**The plant was boiled to make a poultice to stop bleeding.
**It was used as a homemade cold remedy to ease lung congestion and inflammation and sore throats.
**An extract from the flowers was used to make a solution to treat eye irritation and infections.
* In traditional Chinese medicine, extracts from it have been used against numerous diseases, including diabetes, malaria, and Hodgkin's lymphoma. 
* Many of the vinca alkaloids were first isolated from Catharanthus roseus, including vinblastine and vincristine used in the treatment of leukemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma.

==References==
*''van Der Heijden, Robert; Jacobs, Denise I.; Snoeijer, Wim; Hallard, Didier; Verpoorte, Robert (2004). "The Catharanthus alkaloids: Pharmacognosy and biotechnology". Current Medicinal Chemistry. 11 (5): 607–628. doi:10.2174/0929867043455846. PMID 15032608.''
[[Category:Treatments]]
[[Category:herbal medicine]]