Witnessed by: Ayurveda
Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus), of the Apocynaceae family. Evergreen perennial subshrub, always in flower; native range: Madagascar, now naturalised across tropical India. Globally recognized as sadapushpi, nityakalyani in Sanskrit, sadabahar in Hindi, and Madagascar periwinkle, rosy periwinkle in English. The part used is whole plant, leaves, root. Glossy leaves and pink or white five-petalled flowers; the whole plant is intensely bitter with a milky bitterness in the root.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
MADAGASCAR PERIWINKLE
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Madagascar periwinkle
- Scientific name
- Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don
- Family
- Apocynaceae
Form
- Part used
- whole plant, leaves, root
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- bitter (tikta) · astringent (kashaya)
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- cooling (sheeta virya)
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- anti-diabetic (pramehaghna), blood-purifying (raktashodhana), bitter-cooling (pittahara), blood-arresting (raktastambhana)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- not for pregnancy; avoid in marked vata depletion
- Toxicity
- contains potent vinca alkaloids that suppress blood counts and are cytotoxic; overdose causes bone-marrow depression, low blood pressure and neuropathy, use only under qualified supervision
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