Effect of Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Medium pH to Enhance Alkaloid Production from Catharanthus roseus Cell Suspension Culture

An overview of the ameliorative efficacy of Catharanthus roseus extract against Cd2+ toxicity: implications for human health and remediation strategies

Rapid industrialization has led to an increase in cadmium pollution, a dangerously toxic heavy metal. Cadmium (Cd) is released into the environment through industrial processes and can contaminate air, water, and soil. This pollution poses a significant risk to human health and has become a pressing concern in many industrialized areas. Due to its extended half-life, it leads to a range of health problems, including hepato-nephritic toxicity, brain damage, and degenerative bone disorders. Intoxication alters various intracellular parameters, leading to inflammation, tissue injury, and oxidative stress within cells, which disrupts normal cellular functions and can eventually result in cell death. It has also been linked to the development of bone diseases such as osteoporosis. These adverse effects highlight the urgent need to address cadmium pollution and find effective solutions to mitigate its impact on human health. This article highlights the Cd-induced risks and the role of Catharanthus roseus (C. roseus) extract as a source of alternative medicine in alleviating the symptoms. Numerous herbal remedies often contain certain bioactive substances, such as polyphenols and alkaloids, which have the power to mitigate these adverse effects by acting as antioxidants and lowering oxidative cell damage. Research conducted in the field of alternative medicine has revealed its enormous potential to meet demands that may be effectively used in safeguarding humans and their environment. The point of this review is to investigate whether C. roseus extract, known for its bioactive substances, is being investigated for its potential to mitigate the harmful effects of cadmium on health. Further investigation is needed to fully understand its effectiveness. Moreover, it is important to explore the potential environmental benefits of using C. roseus extract to reduce the negative effects of Cd. This review conducted in the field of alternative medicine has revealed its enormous potential to meet demands that could have significant implications for both human health and environmental sustainability.

Production of secondary metabolites using tissue culture-based biotechnological applications

Plants are the sources of many bioactive secondary metabolites which are present in plant organs including leaves, stems, roots, and flowers. Although they provide advantages to the plants in many cases, they are not necessary for metabolisms related to growth, development, and reproduction. They are specific to plant species and are precursor substances, which can be modified for generations of various compounds in different plant species. Secondary metabolites are used in many industries, including dye, food processing and cosmetic industries, and in agricultural control as well as being used as pharmaceutical raw materials by humans. For this reason, the demand is high; therefore, they are needed to be obtained in large volumes and the large productions can be achieved using biotechnological methods in addition to production, being done with classical methods. For this, plant biotechnology can be put in action through using different methods. The most important of these methods include tissue culture and gene transfer. The genetically modified plants are agriculturally more productive and are commercially more effective and are valuable tools for industrial and medical purposes as well as being the sources of many secondary metabolites of therapeutic importance. With plant tissue culture applications, which are also the first step in obtaining transgenic plants with having desirable characteristics, it is possible to produce specific secondary metabolites in large-scale through using whole plants or using specific tissues of these plants in laboratory conditions. Currently, many studies are going on this subject, and some of them receiving attention are found to be taken place in plant biotechnology and having promising applications. In this work, particularly benefits of secondary metabolites, and their productions through tissue culture-based biotechnological applications are discussed using literature with presence of current studies.

Phytochemicals Derived from Catharanthus roseus and Their Health Benefits

Catharanthus roseus (C. roseus) is an important medicinal plant distributed in many countries. It has attracted increasing attention due to it being shown to possess a range of phytochemicals with various biological activities such as antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic and anticancer properties. Remarkably, vinblastine and vincristine isolated from this plant were the first plant-derived anticancer agents deployed for clinical use. Recently, new isolated indole alkaloids from this plant including catharoseumine, 14′,15′-didehydrocyclovinblastine, 17-deacetoxycyclovinblastine and 17-deacetoxyvinamidine effectively inhibited human cancer cell lines in vitro. Moreover, vindoline, vindolidine, vindolicine and vindolinine isolated from C. roseus leaf exhibited in vitro antidiabetic property. These findings strongly indicate that this plant is still a promising source of bioactive compounds, which should be further investigated. This paper provides an overview of the traditional use and phytochemical profiles of C. roseus, and summarises updated techniques of the preparation of dried material, extraction and isolation of bioactive compounds from this plant. In addition, purported health benefits of the extracts and bioactive compounds derived from this plant were also addressed to support their potential as therapeutic agents.