International Journal of Health Sciences and Research www.ijhsr.org ISSN: 2249-9571 Review Article Botanical Description, Phytochemical Constituents and Pharmacological Properties of Euphorbia hirta Linn: A Review Pranabesh Ghosh1*, Chandreyi Ghosh1*, Shaktijit Das1*, Chandrima Das1*, 2** 2* Suprodip Mandal , Sirshendu Chatterjee 1Research Fellow, 2Assistant Professor, *Department of Biotechnology, Techno India University, West Bengal, EM-4, Salt Lake, Sector- V, Kolkata- 700091, West Bengal, India **School of Pharmacy, Techno India University, West Bengal, EM-4, Salt Lake, Sector- V, Kolkata- 700091, West Bengal, India Corresponding Author: Sirshendu Chatterjee ABSTRACT Ethnomedicines are now an important area of better treatment in many countries of the world. Euphorbia hirta Linn. (Family- Euphorbiaceae) an annual medicinal weed and it is commonly known as Asthma plant. It is not only a weed, but also it is a medicinal herb, too. These medicinal herbs are found in tropical and temperate parts of the world along with India, Bangladesh, Africa, and Australia. Extensive literature studies suggested that the various parts of the plant are reported to possess anti- microbial, anti-diabetic, anti-cancer, anti-tumor, anti-plasmodial, anti-fertility, wound healing, anti- inflammatory, sedative, and diuretic properties. The present review study deals with the botanical description, phytochemical, pharmacological, therapeutic, nutritional and other important biological aspects of Euphorbia hirta. The main phytochemicals found in this plant are polyphenols, flavonoids, steroids, tannins, and alkaloids. This review study may be utilized for the identification and preparation of a monograph of Euphorbia hirta. Keywords: Euphorbia hirta, Bioactive Compounds, Phytomedicine, Medicinal Weed INTRODUCTION development of healthcare. Human beings In present days‟ society, the most are using various parts of plants to produce accepted and recognized form of medicine medicine; these are working as a panacea is herbal medicine in the whole world. The for modern civilization [2,3,5] For the plant produces various secondary treatment and prevention of many diseases, metabolites which are bio-synthetically various medicinal plants would be the best derived from primary metabolites, and these source to obtain quality herbal drugs. compounds are the main source of herbal Therefore, such medicinal plants should be pharmaceutical products. [1-3] The medicinal investigated properly to a better and nutritional importance of plants lies in understanding of their botanical attribute different phytochemical components that such as morphology, anatomy or physiology have a particular physiological action on the and or to know the chemical properties, human body. [4] According to the World safety, and efficacy. [6] Health Organization, a huge number of populations presently use phytomedicine for International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 273 Vol.9; Issue: 3; March 2019 Pranabesh Ghosh et.al. Botanical Description, Phytochemical Constituents and Pharmacological Properties of Euphorbia Hirta Linn: A Review Euphorbia hirta has the characteristic In Africa, the decoctions of the plants are of allomorphic pistillate flowers and fruits. used in the treatment of lung disorders. It is [5] These are annual, bushy, soft-woody used for cold, fever, coughs, bronchitis and small herb with a thin brownish gray bark, lung disorders in Malagasy. Euphorbia hirta leaves palmately or serrated, lobed flowers is also used in Angola as anti-diarrheal and are in terminally arranged male flowers on amoebic anti-dysenteries diseases. The the upper half of the inflorescence and the extract of the plants are also used in ear pistillate at the basal half, fruits globose, infections and the treatment of boils, sore, dehiscent, it is green and covered with and it promotes the wound healing fleshy prickles, seed oblong with smooth, processes. [16] In India, the plant parts are hard, mottle crustaceous testa with a white traditionally used to treat against worm caruncle at the top enclosing oily infestations in babies and for dysentery, endosperm. [7] gonorrhea, jaundice, acne, pimples, Euphorbia hirta has a worldwide digestive disorders, cancer, diabetes and for distribution, and its common names include different tumors. [17] The extracts of the root asthma weed and milk weed. Its local name are used against vomiting, diarrheas and in West Bengal and Bangladesh is “Boro also for snake bite as anti-venom. [18] In Keruie”. It is distributed throughout the Africa and Australia, the leaf extracts are temperate or tropical parts of India, Asia, used to treat hypertension and Australia, and Africa, often found in inflammations. The chemical compositions lowland, paddy fields, gardens, waste of Euphorbia hirta along with its places, and in the roadsides. They prefer dry pharmacological properties have been and humid condition, from sea-level up to investigated by many researchers. 2200 m altitude. It is native to Central Flavonoids, steroids, terpenoids, coumarins, America. [2, 3, 8-11] It is a weed considered as tannins, and polyphenols were isolated, beneficial for its diverse application in characterized and identified as the main traditional medicine system. compounds of the plant. [10,14-18] In the Phytopharmacological investigations current review, comprehensive knowledge showed that its bioactive components and information about Euphorbia hirta are possessed various pharmacological represented for the study of its properties like anti-inflammatory, anti- morphological, ethnopharmacological, microbial, anti-diarrheal, sedative, phytochemical and toxicological areas. analgesic, anti-pyretic, anti-oxidant, anti- asthmatic, anti-tumor, larvicidal, diuretic, TAXONOMICAL CLASSIFICATION etc. [12] It is extensively used traditionally to Kingdom: Plantae cure and prevent gastro-intestinal disorders, Division: Tracheophyta afflictions of mucous membranes, and Class: Magnoliopsida respiratory system disorders. [13] Euphorbia Order: Malpighiales hirta has huge economical importance in Family: Euphorbiaceae Nigeria. The cold extract of the leaves is Genus: Euphorbia used to bath small babies with skin Species: Euphorbia hirta infections. It is used ethnomedicinally for Botanical Name: Euphorbia hirta Linn. female disorders. According to many Common Name: Asthma Plant (English), ethnomedicinal kinds of literature the plant Borokeruie (Bengali) (Fig. 1) has known for increasing milk flow in Synonym: Euphorbia capitata Lam., women, and because of it milky latex, it is Euphorbia pilulifera Jacq., Chamaesyce also used for different female disorders. [1, 9, hirta (L.) Millsp. [1, 9] 10, 14] It also reported that the plant is used as anti-spasmodic, anti-diabetic, anti- Euphorbia hirta has many local names in inflammatory, anti-cancer curative agent. [15] different countries such as in China: International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 274 Vol.9; Issue: 3; March 2019 Pranabesh Ghosh et.al. Botanical Description, Phytochemical Constituents and Pharmacological Properties of Euphorbia Hirta Linn: A Review Feiyangcao, Arab: Labeinah, Malaysia: blotch near the midrib (Fig.2, Fig.3, and Ambin jantan, English: Asthma plant, Fig.4). Indonesia: Daun biji kacang, Malay: Moluccas, Sundan: Nanangkaan, Papua New Guinea: Sip, New Britain: Gunantuna, Philippines: Botobotonis, Laos: Mouk may, Thailand: Nam nom raatchasee, Vietnam: Corsuwxra, French: Euphorbea fleusentete, India: Dudhi, West Bengal and Bangladesh: Boro Keruie, Japan: Gelang Susu, Norway: Demba sindji, Australia: Asthma herb, Liberia: Tuagbono. [1, 9, 10] Fig.4: Inflorescence and Flowers Flowers: The inflorescence of Euphorbia hirta has a monocecious, terminal or axillary cluster of flowers, called as „cyathium‟, and with several cyathia finely arranged into a cyme (Fig.4). The male and female flowers are condensed in one involucres and both apetalate. The flowers are unisexual; the male flowers are sessile, the bracteoles are linear, fringed, the perianth is absent, and possesses 1-stamen, the female flowers have small pedicel, the perianth is rimmed, the Fig1. The Plant of Euphorbia hirta Linn. ovary is superior, covered with minute hairs, BOTANICAL DETAILING 3-celled, possesses 3-styles, small, and the Euphorbia hirta is a small annual, branched apex is 2-fold. Flowering duration is usually prostrate herb (Fig.1) with branches throughout the year. reaching 60 cm in height, reddish or purple, Stem: The stems (Fig.5) are small, with abundant latex and is hairy. glabrous, hairy and long with monopodial branching pattern. Internodes are 2.5 to 3 cm in length, stipules present, covered with pubescent. Fig.2: Plant Fig.3: Leaves Leaves: Leaves are opposite, distichously, and simple; stipules are linear. The leaf Fig.5: Stem blades are lanceolate-oblong, serrated, long elliptic, or obovate or ovate-lanceolate; its Fruit: Euphorbia hirta has allomorphic pistillate fruits. The fruit is exerted, 3-lobed, base is very dissimilar or unequal; one side is cuneate, the other side is obliquely base truncate, covered with short hairs. The seeds are oblong, 4-sided prismatic, rounded; the apex is acute, length is 3-4 cm wrinkled and brownish pink, 3-seeded and width is 1-1.4 cm. and its margins are capsule; it is green and covered with fleshy smooth toothed, sometimes with a purple prickles, seed smooth, hard, mottle International Journal of Health Sciences & Research (www.ijhsr.org) 275 Vol.9; Issue: 3; March 2019 Pranabesh