Artist Statement
Native to Madagascar, this periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) is now common throughout the world as an ornamental garden plant. Traditionally, tea preparations were used to treat diabetes. It was not until the 1950s that Canadian researchers at University of Western Ontario, working together with Eli Lilly, discovered the anti-cancer properties of Madagascar periwinkle extracts. The phytochemicals underpinning this medicinal activity, vinblastine (VelbanTM) and vincristine (OncovinTM), remain important treatments for Hodgkin’s lymphoma and lymphocytic leukemia, respectively. The extreme complexity of these compounds renders them difficult to make synthetically, so the plant remains the sole commercial source of the pharmaceuticals. One gram of vinblastine requires 500 kg dry leaves, while 1 g of vincristine requires 2000 kg of dried leaves.
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