酒石酸卡塔拉汀是合成抗肿瘤药长春碱和长春新碱的原料。与后两种化合物相比，它作为微管蛋白自组装成微管的抑制剂的活性较低。 Catharanthine tartrate is the starting material for the synthesis of the antitumor drugs vinblastine and vincristine. It is less active as an inhibitor of tubulin self-assembly into microtubules than the latter two compounds.