Catharanthus plant. Catharanthus: care at home. Pink catharanthus: medicinal properties Medicinal properties of pink periwinkle

There is a flower whose preparations are also used by official medicine to treat cancer. This flower is called catharanthus.

This flower is very welcomed by flower growers in many countries, but it is rarely grown in Russia and the CIS countries. But it is in vain, because in addition to the fact that catharanthus is very beautiful, it is also useful! The flower is very similar to phlox, but its flowers are located separately, and not in inflorescences. And it has almost no smell, unlike phlox.

Catharanthus is planted not only as an ornamental plant, but also because of its medicinal properties. This flower is poisonous, but very useful in the treatment of cancer, it contains anti-cancer substances and is used by official medicine to make drugs that are used for chemotherapy for leukemia, leukemia, blastoma, sarcomas... But it happens that due to old age, poor health, chemotherapy cannot be prescribed and in this case it is worth, with the approval of the attending physician, to try, albeit longer, to be treated at home with tinctures, ointments, and decoctions. In oncology, only the aerial part of the plant is used. In gynecology, in particular, tampons based on catharanthus and vegetable oil are used.

Recipe.

Boil half a glass of crushed catharanthus leaves in a water bath for an hour in a liter of vegetable oil, leave for ten hours. Keep refrigerated. For three weeks, insert tampons soaked in oil into the vagina. A week break and repeat the course. Treatment is carried out for three months. Tampons will be useful for endometritis, endometriosis, polyps in the uterus, fibroids, mastopathy, lymphogranulomatosis. An infusion of this plant in vegetable oil will help with erysipelas and psoriasis.

Tincture. Grind the twigs and leaves of catharanthus, take 2 tbsp. l. mixture and pour 250 ml of vodka, leave for 10 days. Take according to indications, depending on the tumor, after consulting a doctor

, on average, from 5 to 20 drops per dose, an hour before meals, 2-3 times a day. The course of treatment is two weeks, then a week break and continue the course. For lymphogranulomatosis, leave the flowers infused with vodka 1:1 for 10 days. Take a drop under the tongue three times a day.

Pour a glass of boiling water over a tablespoon of dry catharanthus herb, hold on low heat for half a minute, leave for thirty minutes. Take according to indications, depending on the state of health and disease, 1 tbsp. l. three times a day an hour before meals.

Attention!Catharanthus is a poisonous plant; before starting treatment, consultation with your doctor is required!!! And yet, there may be side effects from treatment with drugs from this plant, similar to the consequences of chemotherapy - nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, baldness, depression, skin irritations! This must be taken into account! Although such manifestations are not necessary for everyone.

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Catharanthus rosea – pAsthenia belongs to the Kutrov family and has a second name - pink periwinkle. In the tropics, catharanthus is a perennial subshrub. It is evergreen and blooms all year round. The height of the plant is about sixty centimeters. The leaves are dark green and oblong in shape. The arrangement of the leaves is opposite. The flowers are arranged in a cluster. They have five petals with pink, white or crimson colors.
Catharanthus rosea becomes an annual plant in subtropical conditions. It is grown at home as an ornamental flower.
Pink periwinkle is native to tropical regions. Currently, it is also widespread in the subtropics. It is cultivated and grown in the humid subtropics as a valuable medicinal raw material.

Chemical composition

Catharanthus contains a large amount of alkaloids. Of the sixty-five, seven have antitumor effects. These are vinblastine and vincristine, rosidine, perquin, leurosine and leurosidine, virosine. However, the amount of active alkaloids in the plant is small. Their content is calculated in fractions of a percent. This content depends on the growing zone.

Medicinal properties of pink periwinkle

Catharanthus rosea is actively used in official medicine. Alkaloids with antitumor activity are extracted from it. The most active are vinblastine and vincristine. They affect cells and prevent their reproduction by blocking mitosis at the metaphase stage. As a result, the growth of tumors and lymphocytes is suppressed, and the effect on hematopoiesis, in particular on erythropoiesis, is somewhat lesser.
Experimental studies have shown that periwinkle preparations lower blood pressure, have antibacterial properties, and reduce blood sugar levels.

Uses of periwinkle

Catharanthus preparations have a wide and varied spectrum of effects on the human body. They are used for oncological diseases such as leukemia, blastoma, leukemia, sarcoma and many others. Tinctures from the periwinkle herb give a good effect in the treatment of prostatitis and adenoma, polyps and hemorrhoids, stomach ulcers, and varicose veins. For diabetes mellitus, preparations from this plant prevent the formation of trophic ulcers and the development of gangrene. They are used for eczema, high blood pressure, and are used as an analgesic and as a prophylactic against cancer.
A decoction of young leaves is used for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, psoriasis and itchy skin.

Blank

The above-ground parts of the plant are collected during flowering. Dry in a shaded place.

Contraindications of catharanthus rosea

The plant is poisonous, so all drugs, even those made at home, are best taken under medical supervision. Its use is contraindicated for vegetative-vascular dystonia and hypotension, elevated body temperature, and peripheral neuritis.

Recipes

Decoction: table. pour a spoonful of dry herbs into a glass of water, boil for a minute and leave for half an hour. Take one hour before meals, two or three times a day. One teaspoon of the decoction is diluted in fifty milliliters of water.
Alcohol infusion: the leaves are crushed and poured with vodka. For one part of leaves - twenty parts of vodka. Infuse for a week in a dark place and then filter. Ten drops of infusion are dissolved in a tablespoon of water and taken as is.

Catharanthus rosea (pink periwinkle, cayenne jasmine, etc.) is an evergreen subshrub of the Kutrovaceae family. Is poisonous! Pink periwinkle is native to Madagascar. Now this plant grows in Cuba, India, Indochina and other tropical and subtropical areas. Pink catharanthus is popular among gardeners as an ornamental plant, and, despite its toxicity, is used in folk and official medicine.

Description and preparation

Catharanthus rosea has a long taproot, from which many lateral roots emerge, erect or creeping stems, lignified at the bottom, dark green shiny oval leaves with short petioles. In August-September, catharanthus blooms with pink or white flowers with wheel-shaped corollas. Gardeners grow pink catharanthus in blue, purple, scarlet and other colors.
After flowering, fruits are set - sickle-shaped leaflets with small seeds. In central Russia, the seeds of pink periwinkle do not ripen.
The herb rosette along with leaves and flowers is used as a medicinal raw material. Harvesting is done from late August to mid-September: the grass is cut and dried in electric dryers at a temperature of 50-60°C. The stems of dried raw materials are removed. Dried catharnuts are stored for three years.

Composition and properties

Pink catharanthus is rich in alkaloids, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium and other macro- and microelements. Thanks to its composition, the plant has antitumor, antibacterial, hypotensive and antispasmodic effects.

In folk medicine, rose catharanthus is used for:

• malaria;
• colitis, enteritis;
• endometriosis, fibroids, polyps;

• infertility;
• prostate adenoma and prostatitis;
• hemorrhoids;
• diabetes mellitus;
• oncological diseases;
• scurvy;
• toothache;
• non-healing wounds, ulcers, fungal skin infections, dermatitis, eczema.

Recipes

Decoction for diabetes:

• 1 tbsp. dry leaf of catharanthus rosea;
• 1 tbsp. boiling water

Pour water over the catharanthus, boil for 1 minute, and then let sit for 30 minutes. Strain. Take 1 teaspoon, diluted in 50 ml of water, 2-3 times a day, an hour before meals.
For toothache, this decoction is diluted in water and used for rinsing.

Decoction for external use:

• 2 tbsp. dried catharanthus rosea herb;
• 1 tbsp. hot water.

Fill the plant with water, boil for 1 minute, and then let sit for 30 minutes. Strain. Use to prepare lotions for skin diseases: psoriasis, dermatitis, eczema.

To cleanse the blood, for stomach ulcers, fibroids, and prostatitis, it is recommended to take an alcohol tincture of catharanthus.
Tincture (recipe 1):

• 1 part crushed catharanthus rosea leaf;
• 20 parts vodka.

Pour vodka over the catharanthus and place it in a dark place at room temperature for 7 days. Strain the resulting tincture. Take 10 drops, diluted in 1 tablespoon of water, 1 time per day.
Tincture (recipe 2):

• 2 tbsp. shoots and leaves of catharanthus rosea;
• 250 ml alcohol.

Pour alcohol over the plant material and let it brew for 10 days. Shake the container with the mixture periodically. Strain. Take: 5 drops diluted in 1 tablespoon of water, 30 minutes before meals for 21 days, then take a break for 7 days. Then, within 21 days, take the tincture again, but increasing its amount to 10 drops. Then take a break again and repeat the course (in total you should get at least three months of treatment).

Collection for the prevention of oncology:

• pink catharanthus;
• celandine;
• pharmaceutical camomile;
• mistletoe.

Prepare a collection of the indicated plants, taken in equal parts. Brew 1 tablespoon of the mixture with a glass of boiling water and let it brew for half an hour. Strain. Take 50 ml 30 minutes before meals. Recommended course: 1 month of use, 2-3 months of break and again 1 month of use - for 1 year.

Contraindications

Catharanthus rosea is contraindicated:

• children;
• pregnant and lactating women;
• at low blood pressure;
• in the presence of an allergic reaction.

Attention! Pink periwinkle is a very poisonous plant and can be used for medicinal purposes only after consultation and as prescribed by a doctor, strictly observing the recommended dosages. Treatment with any means prepared from catharanthus should be carried out only under the supervision of a physician. Side effects include: nausea, vomiting, skin irritation, baldness (rare).

Pharmacotherapeutic group. Cytostatic, antitumor agent.

Description of the plant

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Rice. 10.32. Catharanthus pink

Catharanthus rosea leaves- folia catharanthi rosei
(pink periwinkle) - catharanthus roseus (l.) G. Don f. (= vinca rosea l.)
Sem. Kutrovye- apocynaceae
Other names: Perwinkle, Lochnera rosea.

Tropical evergreen subshrub 30-60 cm high (Fig. 10.32). The stem is almost cylindrical, often bare, highly branched (up to 65 shoots are formed in adult plants).

Leaves opposite, short-petiolate, entire, elliptical or oblong-elliptical with a wedge-shaped base; The venation is pinnate, the central vein protrudes from the lower side. The leaves are up to 8 cm long, up to 3.5 cm wide, they are leathery, shiny, dark green, sometimes pubescent on the underside.

Flowers regular, five-membered, with a double perianth, located in pairs in the leaf axils. The calyx is small, five-parted. The corolla is sphenolate, with a long tube and a wide five-parted limb, crimson-pink, pink or white.

Fetus- crescent-shaped dark brown bileaf with numerous seeds.

Composition of catharanthus

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Chemical composition of catharanthus

About 80 alkaloids of the indole series have been isolated from the aerial part of Catharanthus rosea, 26 of which are dimers.

Among the latter, alkaloids with antitumor activity were discovered; they are of particular interest
♦ vinblastine,
♦ vincristine,
♦ leurosine.

♦ vinblastine about 0.005%,
♦ vincristine - 0.001%.

Properties and Application

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Pharmacological properties of catharanthus

Catharanthus rosea is of great interest for medicine due to antitumor activity, noted both in galenic preparations of the plant and in isolated alkaloids isolated from the plant.

The most active of the alkaloids in this regard are

• vinblastine and
• vincristine.

They have

• antitumor cytostatic activity,
• block cell mitosis at the metaphase stage,
• suppress the proliferation of tumor cells and lymphocytes,
• have a lesser effect on erythropoiesis.

In terms of the nature of its action, vinblastine is close to colchicine, although it has a completely different chemical structure from colchicine.

There is evidence that vincristine

• stimulates the function of the adrenal glands and
• increases corticosterone production.

This plays a role in its antitumor effect and increases antitumor immunity.

Application of catharanthus

Vinblastine prescribed for generalized forms

• lymphogranulomatosis,
• lympho- and hematosarcomas
• and other tumor diseases.

Vincristine Its chemical structure and mechanism of action are similar to vinblastine. Used in complex therapy

• acute leukemia,
• neuroblastoma,
• melanoma,
• breast cancer
• and other malignant tumors.

Semi-synthetic derivatives are obtained from vinblastine, which are also used as antitumor agents.

Spreading

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Spreading. The homeland of catharanthus is about. Java.

Habitat. Cultivated as an annual crop. Industrial production of raw materials is established in the semi-humid-subtropical climate zone (Georgia); in the Kubano-Priazovsky district of the Krasnodar Territory (Russia), in the temperate continental climate zone, as well as in the arid climate zone in the Chimkent region (Kazakhstan).

Procurement and storage of raw materials

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Preparation. Plants are mowed in the phase of mass flowering or the beginning of fruiting at a height of 10-15 cm from the soil surface.

Drying. In the air in the shade or in dryers at a temperature of 40-50 ºС. After drying, the leaves are threshed to separate and remove the stems.

Standardization. VFS 42-1106-81.

Storage. Raw materials are stored according to list B, in a cool place, protected from light. Shelf life: 1 year.

External signs of raw materials

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Broken, rarely whole leaves with a small amount of other parts of the plant (leafy stem tips with buds, flowers or unripe fruits, pieces of thin stems, flowers and unripe fruits).
Leaves short-petiolate, elliptical or oblong-elliptic with a wedge-shaped base, entire edges, slightly longitudinally wrinkled, with pinnate venation and a central vein protruding from the lower side.
Stem rounded or flattened, up to 0.2 cm thick, with two pairs of slightly protruding ribs. The flowers are regular, five-membered, tubular-funnel-shaped, the corolla tube is 8-10 times longer than the calyx.
Fruit- long leaflets with numerous oval pitted seeds.
Color leaves are dark green, stems are yellowish-green with a purple tint, flowers are yellowish or pale lilac, fruits are brownish-green, mature seeds are black, unripe seeds are greenish-brown, brown.
Smell peculiar, unpleasant. Taste do not define (!).

The catharanthus plant (Pink periwinkle) has medicinal properties and is used in folk medicine in the treatment of diabetes, as well as as an antitumor and antispasmodic agent. Experimental studies have shown that catharanthus preparations lower blood sugar levels, have antibacterial properties and lower blood pressure.

The plant is poisonous; about 100 different alkaloids were found in it, thanks to which it is considered medicinal.

You can prepare a tincture from catharanthus leaves at home. But remember that due to the toxic properties of the plant, the dosage when taking the finished product should not be exceeded under any circumstances. Dry the leaves out of direct sunlight and store for no more than a year, after which they lose their medicinal properties.

Pour dried crushed leaves with 40% alcohol or vodka at a rate of 1:20. Close tightly, keep at room temperature for 7 days, strain and pour into a dark bottle. Take 10 drops of tincture (store it in a cool, dark place). Children do not need to use poisonous herbs at all, and for teenagers the dose is reduced by 2 times, that is, a 14-year-old teenager can be given 4-5 drops of tincture diluted in water. Every 3-4 weeks of taking the drug from catharanthus, take a break of 5-10 days.

If the dosage is exceeded or the use of catharanthus is too long, side effects may occur - weakness, nausea and vomiting, insomnia, loss of appetite and weight loss, and fever may increase. Constipation, dysuria and even hair loss and neurotoxic effects are possible.

You can alternate taking catharanthus tincture with other remedies. Finely chop 4 onions, pour cold raw water and close the container. Let it brew overnight, strain and drink the infusion little by little throughout the day. The course can last 7 days with the usual diabetes diet, and then be repeated if necessary. Drink sauerkraut brine 0.3 cups 3 times a day. A good remedy is a mixture of 2 tablespoons of buckwheat, ground in a coffee grinder, with 1 glass of kefir. This is a dose for 1 time, and you should take 2 such doses a day - morning and evening, 30 minutes before meals.

therapist, psychologist, herbalist Olga Simonova

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