Catharantrus roseus is a well-known medicinal plant belonging to the family Apocynaceae. It is regarded as a rich source of pharmaceutically important indole alkaloids that are used as antitumor, hypotensive and antiarrhythmic agents. Among the indole alkaloids, vinblastine and vincristine are currently used to treat a wide variety of neoplasms and is recommended for treatment of Hodgkin’s disease, acute leukemia and choriocarcinoma, which is resistant to other types of therapy. The unique antitumor activities of these indole alkaloids have resulted in a great demand for vinblastine and vincristine as anticancer agents.