Madagascar Periwinkle

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Madagascar Periwinkle Mayapple
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Madagascar Periwinkle

• Catharanthus roseus

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Origin of Name

• Madagascar Periwinkle Catharantus roseus
• Catharantus  - Greek for clean or pure flower
• roseus            - Latin for rose-colored
• Other names
• Cape Periwinkle
• Catharanthus
• Church Flower
• Rosy Periwinkle

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Where can I find the Madagascar Periwinkle?

• The Madagascar Periwinkle originated in
  Madagascar.
  
• However, now it can be found almost anywhere
  since people use periwinkles of different sorts
  in their gardening.
  
• The Madagascar periwinkle does best in poor,
  well-drained soils. If the soil is too fertile,
  the flowering will suffer.
  

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History

• Researchers heard of a tea made from the leaves
  of Periwinkles in Jamaica, and they wanted to
  study the plant to see if it actually had
  anti-diabetic properties.
• In the 1950s, it was discovered that the
  Madagascar Periwinkle contained chemicals in the
  alkaloid class.

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Historical Uses

• Used in charms and love potions in medieval
  Europe
  
• Used in floral garlands for protection from
  sudden harm
  
• Used to show friendship during the period of
  enlightenment by the French
  
• In India, folk healers used Madagascar Periwinkle
  to treat wasp stings from the juice from crushed
  leaves
  

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Historical Uses Cont.

• In Hawaii, the plant was boiled and used as a
  topical application to stop bleeding
  
• In Central America, a liquid was made from the
  plant to treat sore throats and other problems
  like coughing and other chest congestion.
  
• Eyewash was made from flowers by the people of
  Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, and other Caribbean
  islands

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Now it is used to treat

• Diabetes
• High blood pressure
• Leukemia
• Hodgkins disease
• Skin Cancer
• Lymph Cancer
• Breast Cancer
• Testicular Cancer

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Chemical components in Madagascar periwinkle

• In the Madagascar periwinkle are several alkaloid
  chemicals.
  
• The two most important are
• Vinblastine
• Vincristine
• To get these chemicals, the whole plant is used.
• However the sap is poisonous if ingested

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What do they do?

• Vinblastine and vincristine bind to proteins in
  some microtubules, which causes the tumor to be
  unable to divide-thus killing the cancer cells.
  
• A more recent study has also shown that the
  chemicals in Madagascar periwinkle may prevent
  the growth of new blood vessels that would
  support tumor growth.

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Side Effects

• Neurotoxicity (nerve damage that may become
  permanent)
  
• Muscle weakness
• Burning, itching or tingling feeling in hands or
  feet.
  
• May decrease the ability of bone marrow to
  produce new blood cells.
  
• Skin is more sensitive to light

• Nausea
• Hair loss
• Poisoning
• Death when ingested in large amounts
• Constipation
• Diarrhea
• Headache
• Muscle Aches
• Stomach Cramps
• Vomiting

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Side Effects

• Although birth defects are not present when using
  the Madagascar periwinkle plant, the drugs that
  are derived from it do cause
  
• birth defects
• neurotoxicity,
• bone marrow suppression and
• sensitivity to sunlight.

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Dosage

• The dosage amount of the raw plant is unknown,
  and should not be self administered.
  
• The drug is administered intravenously

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Mayapple
Podophyllum pltatum
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Origin of Name

• Mayapple Podophyllum pltatum
• Podo Greek for foot
• phyllum Greek for leaves
• petatum Greek for shield-like
• Other names
• Devils Apple
• Hog-apple
• Indian Apple
• Witches Umbrella

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Where can I find the Mayapple?

• Mayapple grows in eastern North America, from
  Quabec to Minnesota and to Florida and Texas
  
• Maypple can survive low winter temperatures of
  the north, and hot summer temperatures of the
  south.
  
• Mayapple usually grows in colonies, and emerges
  in early spring to obtain sunlight before the
  trees bud.
  
• Found in damp, open woodlands, and wet meadows

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History

• Dried extracts of rhizome of mayapple were used
  by North American Indians and Himalayans as
  cathartics (a purgative) and cholagogues
  (promotes the discharge of bile).
• In 1947, Hartwell and Shear showed that one does
  of the resin from mayapple was effective in
  reducing tumors.
  
• In 1970 the demand for mayapple rhizomes was more
  than 130 tons annually.

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Historical Uses

• Native American Indians and early colonists used
  the resin from the Mayapple to cure snake bites
  
• In 1864 Mayapple was a common ingredient in many
  medicines
  
• Used by Indians to help gastrointestinal
  disorders
  
• The Hurons and Iriquois used this plant as a
  poison to commit suicide.
  

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Historical Uses Cont.

• Used as a poison to eliminate chipmunks
• Indian tribes used powder made from the roots to
  make a laxative to treat intestinal worms
  
• Cherokee used parts of the plant for ear
  medicines, insecticides, and dermatological
  aids.
  

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Now it is used to treat

• Hairy Leukoplakia
• Genital warts
• Tumors
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Lung cancer
• Testicular cancer

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Chemical Components found in the Mayapple

• Podophyllum- contains at least 16 active
  compounds
  
• Podophyllotoxin an increase of this chemical is
  seen with an increase of sunlight.
  
• Peltatin- alpha and beta

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Chemical Extraction Process

• Mayapple stores podophyllotoxins attached to
  glucose and when the plant is under attack, the
  glucose is removed and the toxin is available for
  the plant.
• The new extraction method is to make the plant
  think it is under attack, and collect the
  podophyllotoxins.
  
• This method is cheap, efficient, and fast.

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What do these chemicals do?

• Podophyllotoxin is used to make anti-cancer drugs
  such as
  
• Etoposide
• Teniposide
• Etopophos
• Binds to microtubules and blocks cell division in
  metaphase stage.
  
• Inhibit the activity of an enzyme that is
  essential for the replication of cancer cells
  
• Act as anti-mitotic agents

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What do these chemicals do?

• In anti-tumor drugs a and b peltatin,
  podophyllotoxin, and its derivatives stop the
  cell growth by inhibiting DNA topoisomerase II
  which causes the double stranded DNA in the cell
  to split into 2 separate strands.

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Side Effects

• Birth defects
• Fetal death
• Stillbirth
• Nausea
• Hypotension
• Vomiting

• Respiratory failure
• Renal failure
• Hallucinations
• Seizures
• Fever
• Muscle paralysis

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Side Effects

• If overexposure occurs
• Neuronal swelling
• Disintegration of Nissl bodies of dorsal root
  ganglion neurons
  
• Thickening of axons
• Cardiovascular complications