Euphorbia tirucalli L.: Review on morphology, medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacological activities

ABSTRACT

The intention of current review is to make available up-to-date information on morphology, ecological biodiversity, medicinal uses, phytochemistry and pharmacolog-ical activities on different parts of Euphorbia tirucalli (E. tirucalli). This plant has a number of medicinal uses. Latex of E. tirucalli is vesicant and rubefacient which is used for rheumatism, warts, cough, asthma, ear-ache, tooth-ache and neuralgia. It acts as a purgative in small doses while in big doses it is bitter irritant and emetic. Milky juice is alexiteric, carminative and purgative. It is useful in whooping cough, gonorrhea, asthma, leprosy, dropsy, dyspepsia, enlargement of spleen, colic, jaundice and stone in bladder. The fresh milky juice is good alternative in syphilis and a good application in neuralgia. A decoction of branches is used in gastralgia and colic. Bark is used in treatment of fractures. Poultices prepared from the stem are useful to repair the broken bones. Boiled root liquid acts as an emetic in cases of snake-bite and for infertility in women. The wood is used for rafters, toys and veneering purposes. It is also useful against leprosy and foot paralysis subsequent to childbirth. E. tirucalli is reported to have euphol, β-sitosterol, euphorbol hexacosonate, cycloeuphordenol, cyclotirucanenol, tirucalicine, tri-methyl ellagic acid, gallic acids, terpenic alcohol, isoeuphorol, taraxasterol, tirucallol, euphor-one, euphorcinol, euphorbins, 12-deoxy-4β-hydroxyphorbol-13-phenyl acetate-20-acetate, 12, 20-dideoxyphorbol-13-isobutyrate, glut-5-en-3-β-ol, 3,3′-di-O-methylellagic acid, euphorbin-A (polyphenol), tirucallin-A (7) (tannin), tirucallin-B (11), euphorbin-F (14) (dimers), cycloartenol, 24-methylenecycloartenol, ingenol triacetate, 12-deoxy-4β-hydroxyphorbol-13-phenyl acetate-20-acetate, taraxerone, euphorginol, taraxerol, cam-pesterol, stigmasterol, palmitic acid, linoleic acid,β-amyrin, etc. active phytoconstituents. E. tirucalli have possessed activity in human-lymphocytes, analgesic, anthelmintics, antiarthritic, antibacterial/antifungal/antimicrobial, anti-HIV, anti-inflammatory, antioxi-dant, antiviral, biodiesel production, CNS depressant/neuropathic pain, cytotoxicity/anticancer, genotoxic/mutagenic, hepatoprotective, insect repellants, immunomodulatory, larvicidal, molluscicidal/ovicidal/piscicidal, myelopoiesis, proteolytic/chitinolytics phar-macological activities. There is a need to isolate dynamic constituents, their biological trial, molecular mechanisms, experimental protection and legalization of therapeutic uses of E. tirucalli. The collected information will be helpful to locate up study protocol for recent drugs and Ayurvedic formulation expansion in curative and treat a variety of ailments.