Medicinal Plants
Plants that are used to make medicines to help sick people get better.
What is it?
Medicinal plants are plants that contain chemicals that can treat or prevent diseases. People have used them for thousands of years. The Madagascar periwinkle is a medicinal plant because it contains alkaloids used in cancer chemotherapy. Other examples include willow bark (used to make aspirin) and foxglove (used for heart medicine). The Madagascar periwinkle's alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine are especially important for treating certain cancers.
Why it matters
Medicinal plants are the source of many important drugs. Studying them helps scientists discover new treatments for diseases. Protecting these plants is important for future medicine.
Where you've seen it
This list grows as you capture more medicinal plants.
