Therapeutic Potential of Vinca Alkaloid in Cancer Treatment

Cancer is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Currently, drugs are used to treat cancer whether alone or in combination but come with various side effects which leads the researcher for alternative treatment. This review discusses about the anticancer properties of the phytochemicals particularly derived from Catharanthus roseus commonly called as nayantara. The principal alkaloids found in Catharanthus roseus include vinblastine (VBL), vincristine (VCR), vinorelbine (VRL), vindesine (VDS) and vinflunine. Vinca alkaloid are the class of chemotherapeutic compounds used to treat various cancers by targeting microtubules to arrest cell division and causes cell death. Despite of their effectiveness the vinca alkaloid faces challenges such as developing environmentally friendly production method and bioavailability. Aside from their anticancer properties vinca alkaloid may exhibit hypoglycemic and cytotoxic effect and also used to treat diabetes and hypertension. The compound VCR, VBL, and VRL are approved in United States while vinflunine is approved in Europe. As one of the most used cancer drug classes, vinca alkaloid holds a significant place in therapy with ongoing research exploring new applications and overcoming current production and efficacy challenges.