NATURAL-HEALTH-HAPPINESS

PERVENCHE OF MADAGASCAR


Catharanthus
ROSEUS



APOCYNACEAE



This plant family, Apocynaceae, provides many drugs of any foreground reserpine, Ajmaline, Strophantines, vinblastine etc. ...
PERVENCHE OF MADAGASCAR




These plants contain many alkaloids (see glossary), all have been performed otherwise described, many are too toxic to be used in human therapy but can be based (structural) chemical to find new molecules that are less harmful or more effective.

The alkaloids can fight against cancer and leukemia (thus having a cytostatic or oncolytic action (see glossary)) are the most wanted and that following the discovery in 1960 of two molecules very effective in the Madagascar periwinkle.

This small plant, probably originating from the Indian Ocean, is widespread in all tropical regions and is a perennial sub-shrub whose flowers are simple and unobtrusive pink, purple or white.

This periwinkle is grown for ornamental purposes, it is very decorative lawn and is a particularly tough plant that tolerates poor soils, sandy, sunny but not stand the cold, then it is annual.

COMPOSITION AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
In traditional medicine,
they had long known the Madagascar periwinkle as a drug for diabetes and hypertension;


In performing a screening of several potentially active alkaloids (90) that two particularly active molecules have been isolated:
the leurocristine = vincristine
and vincaleucoblastine = vinblastine.


The aerial part of the periwinkle contains 0.2% to 1% of alkaloids and the rate of vincristine, the rarer of the two alkaloids, is only 0.0003% or 3g per 1 tonne of dry matter!
The alkaloids are dimers involving two indole subunits.

They are by cytostatic cytostatic effect, and as oncolytic a partially elucidated mechanism: they block the cellular reproduction by acting on spindle microtubules, blocking mitosis at metaphase stage; in vitro are also inhibitors of protein biosynthesis and nucleic acids.

These "poison cell" unfortunately related effects including nervous system by acting on the microtubules of axons, where their neurotoxicity.

The antidiabetic properties of plants have not been confirmed;
3 alkaloids are hypoglycemic (see glossary) but effective at doses that make the toxic herbal medicines because of other indole compounds.

The dried root is a source of ajmalicine = raubasine (also extracted from Rauwolfia). It is a spasmolytic alpha blocker that opposes the effects of adrenaline (adrenolytic) and increases cerebral blood flow (up to 30% carotid flow), thus ensuring better irrigation of the brain.
The raubasine shows more affinity for benzodiazepine receptors and thus exhibits a mild anxiolytic and anticonvulsant activity.

USES
It uses the traditional decoction (see glossary) leaves:
example, 40g in 1 liter of water, a cup morning and evening

This 'cocktail' of alkaloids is traditionally advised to decrease tension and as antidiabetic (perhaps anorexiant effect).

The Antilles is required to gargle (angina) and crushed leaves are used as poultice on bruises with bruises.

In allopathy vinblastine and vincristine are two major antimitotic (Hodgkin's disease, lymphoma, sarcoma, breast carcinoma, etc ...) used alone or in combination with other chemotherapy drugs.

The ajmalicine = raubasine in the composition of drugs to improve brain function in the elderly, mental disorders of senescence, following stroke, brain (ischemia, spasm, trauma, surgery).

The sensory disturbances are also a good indication: retinopathy of vascular origin, disorder of the inner ear (vertigo and tinnitus).

This plant is so discreet, so widespread and commonplace in the tropics is in fact a powerful therapeutic agent.