Vinca alkaloids: Madagascar's gift to cancer treatment

The Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) is a beautiful flower that grows on the island of Madagascar. It is one of the most important medicinal plants in the treatment of cancer and has saved thousands of children with lymphatic leukaemia. The Madagascar periwinkle is a great example of why biodiversity needs to be protected. It has grown in isolation on the island and developed genome mutations, creating secondary metabolic products that help the plant to survive in the Madagascar ecosystem. More than 200 alkaloid compounds are found in the Madagascar periwinkle, of which vincristine and vinblastine are used in medicinal treatments. Although new cancer drugs are constantly being developed, vincristine and vinblastine, or vinca alkaloids, are still important in medicine.