Vinblastine Extraction from Madagascar Periwinkle: A Promising Method to Fight Cancer - Paper Sample

The rising incidence of cancer and other chronic diseases has become a serious concern to medical researchers. Notably, scientists have proved alkaloids like Vinblastine to be used as antineoplastic drugs. Catharanthus roseus popularly known as Madagascar periwinkle, has become a rich source of these alkaloids. The extraction of Vinblastine mainly involves the use of ethanol as a co-solvent of CO2 at specific conditions of temperature and pressure. Consequently, the process of extraction should take place at different temperatures, for instance, 40, 50, and 60 degrees, and a pressure of 300 bar. Therefore, this paper seeks to discuss methods of extracting Vinblastine from the Madagascar periwinkle.

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The microwave-assisted extraction method involves the use of concentrated Hydrochloric acid as a solvent. Here, the leaves of Madagascar periwinkle are collected manually from the surroundings. The help of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) conducts the qualitative extraction of Vinblastine (Latanzio, 2015). Subsequently, medical industries use Acetonitrile as a mobile phase to enhance rapid descent. Hence, makes the microwave method of extraction efficient.

Consequently, most scientists have used the viticulture technique as a biosynthesis method for extracting Vinblastine. This process involves the use of multiple enzymes and proteins (Javad, 2016). For instance, abiotic elicitors like salicylic acid and ethylene have helped in the secondary production of Vinblastine (Latanzio, 2015). These elicitors are extracted from plant cells when subjected to drought stress. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is mostly used to induce drought stress in the cells in most industries.

Subsequently, producers may collect Catharanthus roseus leaves from the surroundings, and grind and dry them. The periwinkle powder is then placed into a vial; 10 ml of Hydrochloric acid is added to the beaker. The mixture should be covered with a polythene bag to avoid evaporation of the solvent (Javad, 2016). The product should be then stored in a refrigerator of 4 degrees Celsius.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the article sought to discuss methods of extracting Vinblastine from Madagascar periwinkle. The qualitative analysis shows that the production of vinblastine compounds in callus culture seems to be lower as compared to planta production. It is also evident that PEG treatment has a minimum effect on the extraction of Vinblastine. Therefore, this paper recommends scientists use preferred methods to extract a larger quantity of Vinblastine.

References

Javad, S. (2016). Enhanced extraction of an anticancer drug, Vinblastine, from Catharanthus roseus. Pure And Applied Biology, 5(3), 34. https://doi.org/10.19045/bspab.2016.50079

Lattanzio, V. (2015). High-performance liquid chromatography of free and bound phenolic acids in the eggplant (Solanum melongena L.). Journal Of Chromatography A, 250, 143. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0021-9673(00)95226-9