Published Paper Details:

Vinca species, especially Vinca minor and Catharanthus roseus, represent medicinally useful plants with a variety of bioactive indole alkaloids, belonging to the family Apocynaceae. Vinca minor contains vincamine, which is a cerebrovasodilatory and neuroprotective alkaloid also in common use for cognitive disorders. On the other hand, Catharanthus roseus produces potent anticancer alkaloids such as vinblastine, vincristine, vinorelbine, and vindesine. These represent a number of pharmacological activities that include cytotoxicity, hypoglycemic, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective effects. Recent phytochemical investigation has shown that environmental conditions seem to play a vital role in the alkaloid composition of Vinca plants; therefore, advanced techniques like chromatography and spectroscopy are needed to isolate and quantify bioactive metabolites. Therapeutic benefits from Vinca alkaloids have led to their current global application in cancerous disorders, hypertension, diabetes, dermatology, malaria, and microbial infections. At the same time, recent studies have highlighted vinflunine, and semisynthetic vincamine analogs possessing improved efficacy and safety. This review will provide an overview of the phytochemistry, pharmacological activities, and clinical significance of Vinca alkaloids, which certainly represent an indispensable natural source in the ongoing development of novel drugs for neuroprotection, oncology, and modern herbal therapies.