The chemical constituents of some species of Euphorbia, which grow mostly in semi-desert areas in Iran and on the Alborz Mountains in the north of Tehran, have been found to include chemotaxonomically important myrsinane diterpenoids and cycloartane triterpenoids.
Medicinal plants are a rich source of bioactive phytochemicals or bionutrients. Studies carried out during the past 2– 3 decades have shown that these phytochemicals have an important role in preventing chronic diseases like cancer, diabetes and coronary heart disease.
Flavonoids belong to a group of polyphenolic compounds, which are classified as flavonols, flavonones, flavones, flavanols, flavan-3-ols and isoflavones according to the positions of the substitutes present on the parent molecule. Flavonoids of different classes have several pharmacological activities.
The ethanolic extract of a Malagasy species Euphorbia stenoclada (ES) (Euphorbiaceae), traditionally used as a herbal remedy against asthma and acute bronchitis, was tested to evaluate possible anti-proliferative activity on human airway smooth muscle cells (HASMC). The ES ethanolic extract totally abolished the interleukin-1 (IL-1) induced proliferation of HASMC (IC50 = 0.73 ± 0.08g/mL).
Phenolic compounds, ubiquitous in plants are an essential part of the human diet, and are of considerable interest due to their antioxidant properties. These compounds posses an aromatic ring bearing one or more hydroxyl groups and their structures may range from that of a simple phenolic molecule to that of a complex high-molecular weight polymer.