5. Application example and change of scale

5.1 Purification of alkaloids of pharmaceutical interest extracted from Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus)

Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don, also known as Madagascar periwinkle, is an apocinaceae containing a wide variety of monomeric and dimeric indolomonoterpene alkaloids (over 120 alkaloids described), the latter with interesting therapeutic properties in the fight against cancer. The two compounds targeted for separation are catharanthine and vindoline (figure 13 ), two monomeric precursors for the industrial hemisynthesis of navelbine and vinflunine, two active substances marketed for...