Fresh and dried Euphorbia heterophylla leaf was assessed for proximate composition and nutrient contents. Phytochemical screening was conducted using standard methods. Proximate analysis (total protein, fats, carbohydrate, ash and moisture contents) were carried out following methods of Association of Official analytical chemist.
The presence, yield and composition of secondary metabolites in plants, viz. the volatile components and those occurring in essential oils, can be affected in a number of ways, from their formation in the plant to their final isolation.
Euphobia heterophylla is a local medicinal plant used in ethnomedicine for the treatment of
constipation, bronchitis and asthma. The aqueous decoction and the methanolic extracts were
subjected to anti-inflammatory activity using experimental animal model, in the presence of the positive
In this review we describe and discuss several approaches to selecting higher plants as candidates for drug development with the greatest possibility of success. We emphasize the role of information derived from various systems of traditional medicine (ethnomedicine) and its utility for drug discovery purposes.
Dichloromethane and 90% methanol extracts from 51 South African medicinal plants were evaluated for potential genotoxic effects using the bacterial Ames and VITOTOX† tests with and without metabolic activation.
Foliar epidermal features of 18 species of Euphorbia L. s.l. (Euphorbiaceae) are studied. While the anisocytic and anamocytic stomata are common in herbaceous members (Euphorbia subg. Chamaesyce), the paracytic type is predominant in succulent species (Euphorbia proper).
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).
Baranova, M. (V. L. Komarov Botanical Institute, Prof. Popov Str. 2, 197376 St. Petersburg, Russia. Principles of comparative stomatographic studies of flowering plants. Bot. Rev.
Current research in drug discovery from medicinal plants involves a multifaceted approach combining botanical, phytochemical, biological, and molecular techniques. Medicinal plant drug discovery continues to provide new and important leads against various pharmacological targets including cancer, HIV/AIDS, Alzheimer’s, malaria, and pain.
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.