Catharanthus in Drug Discovery - From Molecules to Medicine

This book focuses on the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, clinical trials and future prospects of Catharanthus roseus, commonly known as Sadabahar . It explores botanical leads derived from various species of Catharanthus, emphasizing their significance in today s context.
Several species of Catharanthus are commonly used in traditional medicine and herbal formulations, particularly for cancer treatment, due to their bioactive compounds. The medicinal properties of these species stem from bisindole alkaloids like vincristine and vinblastine, which are known for their anticancer effects and are utilized in chemotherapy. This book explores the importance of separation techniques for the screening, identification, characterization, and quantification of both major and minor alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, and volatile compounds in Catharanthus species, employing methods such as HPLC and HPLC/UPLC coupled with mass spectrometry. The chapters include detailed insights into the molecular and pharmacological aspects associated with Catharanthus, ensuring that readers can see the plant s central role in drug discovery and develop an understanding of the molecular complexities involved in drug development. This book builds on outstanding research contributions from leading scientists and institutions to provide a comprehensive overview, extending beyond the individual papers discussed in its chapters to foster a global perspective.
The book aims to engage the scientific community in appreciating the critical role of biodiversity and the pharmacological significance of Catharanthus. This will not only facilitate academic learning but also serve as a thorough resource for researchers and pharmaceutical companies globally.

List of contents

Chapter 1. Introduction: Ongoing Drug Discovery- Aspects and Applications.- Chapter 2. Botanical Aspects of Genus Catharanthus: Species Diversity and Distribution.- Chapter 3. Traditional Knowledge and Applications of Catharanthus species.- Chapter 4. 2D and 3D structures of bioactive compounds: Salient physico-chemical properties.- Chapter 5. The Biosynthetic Pathways of Catharanthus: Function and evolution.- Chapter 6. Separation and isolation techniques: From Traditional to Modern methods.- Chapter 7. Monoterpene Indole Alkaloids: Identification, Characterization and Isolation Aspects.- Chapter 8. Bisindole alkaloids: Identification, Characterization, and Isolation Aspects.- Chapter 9. Phenolics: Identification, characterization and isolation.- Chapter 10. Volatile compounds: Identification, characterization, isolation and pharmacology.- Chapter 11. Pharmacological activity.- Chapter 12. Clinical Trials and Toxicological Evaluations.- Chapter 13. Success study of Anticancer-compounds: Vincristine and Vinblastine and semisynthetic derivative.- Chapter 14. Future Research and Recommendations.

About the author

Dr. Sunil Kumar is currently serving as an Assistant Professor and Head of the Department of Chemistry at Sant Kavi Baba Baijnath Government P.G. College in Harakh, Barabanki, Uttar Pradesh, India. He earned his Ph.D. for his research on the application of mass spectrometric techniques for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of phytoconstituents, as well as the identification of chemical markers of medicinal plants, conducted at the sophisticated Analytical Instrument Facility of CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute in Lucknow. With six years of teaching and research experience, Dr. Kumar specializes in the qualitative and quantitative analysis of phytochemicals using LC-MS/MS techniques, focusing on the isolation, quality control, and standardization of Indian medicinal plants and their herbal formulations. He has authored 02 books, 06 book chapters, and 36 papers published in reputable international journals. In addition to his research contributions, Dr. Kumar serves as a reviewer for several international scientific journals. He is an active member of various research committees and has been invited to deliver keynote lectures at numerous conferences, seminars, and workshops. A lifetime member of the Indian Science Congress Association, he also holds the position of Assistant Zonal Officer for the Spoken Tutorial program organized by the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay.
Dr. Bikarma Singh currently serves as a Principal Scientist and In-Charge of the Maharshi Kashyap Plant Propagation Campus at CSIR–National Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow, a premier institute under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). He also holds the position of Associate Professor at AcSIR, New Delhi, and is a Ph.D. Supervisor in the Department of Botany, University of Jammu, J&K, India. Dr. Singh completed M.Sc. Degree with Honours in Botany from North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU), Shillong, in 2005, where he was awarded a Gold Medal. He earned his Ph.D. in Botany in 2012 from Gauhati University, Assam, in collaboration with the Botanical Survey of India (BSI), Shillong. Previously, he worked as a Senior Scientist at CSIR–Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, and as a Scientist-Ecologist at WAPCOS Limited, Gurgaon, contributing to multiple consultancy projects related to ecology and biodiversity. With over 19 years of research experience in Plant Sciences, Dr. Singh has developed expertise in systematics, ethnobotany, natural products, value addition, biodiversity conservation, and Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). He is a reviewer for several national and international SCI journals and has led the organization of numerous scientific seminars and workshops. Dr. Singh has made substantial academic contributions, having authored/co-authored 11 books, 47 book chapters, and 110 peer-reviewed research papers in reputed journals. He holds two patents related to medicinal plants and has been associated with over 50 research projects as PI, Co-PI, or team member, funded by both government and non-government organizations. He has successfully supervised and ignited four Ph.D. scholars and actively serves on several research committees. As a recognized speaker, he has delivered numerous invited lectures and keynote addresses at national and international conferences, seminars, and workshops.

Summary

This book focuses on the botany, phytochemistry, pharmacology, clinical trials and future prospects of Catharanthus roseus, commonly known as ‘Sadabahar’. It explores botanical leads derived from various species of Catharanthus, emphasizing their significance in today’s context.
Several species of Catharanthus are commonly used in traditional medicine and herbal formulations, particularly for cancer treatment, due to their bioactive compounds. The medicinal properties of these species stem from bisindole alkaloids like vincristine and vinblastine, which are known for their anticancer effects and are utilized in chemotherapy. This book explores the importance of separation techniques for the screening, identification, characterization, and quantification of both major and minor alkaloids, flavonoids, phenolics, and volatile compounds in Catharanthus species, employing methods such as HPLC and HPLC/UPLC coupled with mass spectrometry. The chapters include detailed insights into the molecular and pharmacological aspects associated with Catharanthus, ensuring that readers can see the plant’s central role in drug discovery and develop an understanding of the molecular complexities involved in drug development. This book builds on outstanding research contributions from leading scientists and institutions to provide a comprehensive overview, extending beyond the individual papers discussed in its chapters to foster a global perspective.
The book aims to engage the scientific community in appreciating the critical role of biodiversity and the pharmacological significance of Catharanthus. This will not only facilitate academic learning but also serve as a thorough resource for researchers and pharmaceutical companies globally.

Product details

• Authors: Sunil Kumar, Bikarma Singh
• Publisher: Springer, Berlin
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 03.04.2026
• EAN: 9789819550470
• ISBN: 978-981-9550-47-0
• No. of pages: 305
• Illustrations: XI, 305 p. 75 illus., 53 illus. in color.
• Subjects: Natural sciences, medicine, IT, technology > Chemistry > Physical chemistry; Molekularbiologie, Analytische Chemie, Pharmakologie, Pflanzenbiologie, Technische Anwendung von Biomaterialien, Medizinische Forschung, Pharmacology, clinical research, MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY, Plant Molecular Biology, Separation Science, Plant Materials, Pharmaceutical Applications of Catharanthus, Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Alkaloids, Separation Techniques of Bioactive Compounds in Catharanthus, Pharmacognostic Characteristics and Clinical Trials, Chemical Constituents of Catharanthus