Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Euphorbia hirta L.; Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Mills. (Euphorbiaceae)

(Syns.: E. bancana Miq.; E. capitata Lam.; E. gemella Lag.; E. globulifera Kunth)

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants

  • 96 Accesses

Abstract

The plant is an annual, hairy herb, that is native to India but pantropic in distribution, and grows in the Philippines in open grasslands, roadsides and pathways. The plant supposedly possesses extraordinary qualities, such as a few drops of it killing serpents, its efficacy in venereal complaints and bellyache, and its being an antidote to poisons. Early experimental studies showed that it killed small animals by paralyzing the respiration and heart, through its direct action on respiratory and cardiac centers. The active principle is eliminated by the liver, because in all animals which died during the experiments the gall bladder was found distended with bile. It appears to act beneficially upon spasmodic dyspnea, arising from whatever cause, and it unquestionably is a remedy of great power and promise. In Ayurveda, whole plant is used in dadru, krmiroga, kãsa, kustha, mūtrakrcchra, pūyameha, śūla, and tamakaśvãsa. In Unani medicine, ground with water and strained, it is used as antidiarrheal, as anodyne in gonorrhea, and to purify blood in cases of inflammation and boils. Powdered plant is used for bleeding piles, leucorrhea, and premature ejaculation. The decoction was used in Brazil to treat asthma, and gonorrhea, possibly due to its diuretic action. The plant was also used in nursing mothers when there was deficient or no milk production. In the Philippines, the entire plant is used as antidote, hemostatic, sedative and soporific, and the decoction is very effective in relieving the dyspnea of asthma. It is also claimed to cure dengue patients, and became one of the most popular “folkloric medicine” for dengue in the Philippines. In East Africa, juice from the leaves and stems is used for eye complaints, and for certain swellings on the throat or under the arms, possibly boils; and as antidiarrheal and antimalarial in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo. Nigerian traditional healers use it for male sexual dysfunction, whereas, Swahili and Sukuma individuals use it to treat hypertension and edema. Triterpene, taraxerol was isolated from the stems, while the leaves yielded phytol and phytyl fatty acid esters, and the roots contained cycloartenyl fatty acid ester, lupeol fatty acid ester, α-amyrin fatty acid ester and β-amyrin fatty acid ester, linoleic acid, β-sitosterol, and squalene.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 299.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 379.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Ahmad SF, Attia SM, Bakheet SA, et al. Anti-inflammatory effect of Euphorbia hirta in an adjuvant-induced arthritic murine model. Immunol Invest. 2014;43:197–211.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ahmad SF, Bani S, Sultan P, et al. TNF-α inhibitory effect of Euphorbia hirta in rats. Pharm Biol. 2013;51:411–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Anuradha H, Srikumar BN, Deepti N, et al. Restoration of acetylcholinesterase activity by Euphorbia hirta in discrete brain regions of chronically stressed rats. Pharm Biol. 2010;48:499–503.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Anuradha H, Srikumar BN, Shankaranarayana Rao BS, Lakshmana M. Euphorbia hirta reverses chronic stress-induced anxiety and mediates its action through the GABA(A) receptor benzodiazepine receptor-Cl(-) channel complex. J Neural Transm. 2008;115:35–42.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Attah SK, Ayeh-Kumi PF, Sittie AA, et al. Extracts of Euphorbia hirta Linn. (Euphorbiaceae) and Rauvolfia vomitoria Afzel (Apocynaceae) demonstrate activities against Onchocerca volvulus microfilariae in vitro. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013;13:66.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Basma AA, Zakaria Z, Latha LY, Sasidharan S. Antioxidant activity and phytochemical screening of the methanol extracts of Euphorbia hirta L. Asian Pac J Trop Med. 2011;4:386–90.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Caius JF. The medicinal and poisonous spurges of India. J Bombay Nat Hist Soc. 1938;40:274–313.

    Google Scholar 

  8. Chen L. Polyphenols from leaves of Euphorbia hirta L. China J Chinese Mat Med. 1991;16:38–9, 64 (Chinese).

    Google Scholar 

  9. de Guzman GQ, Dacanay AT, Andaya BA, Alejandro GJ. Ethnopharmacological studies on the uses of Euphorbia hirta in the treatment of dengue in selected indigenous communities in Pangasinan (Philippines). J Intercult Ethnopharmacol. 2016;5:239–43.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Duez P, Livaditis A, Guissou PI, et al. Use of an Amoeba proteus model for in vitro cytotoxicity testing in phytochemical research. Application to Euphorbia hirta extracts. J Ethnopharmacol. 1991;34:235–46.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Fayaz Ahmad S, Sultan P, Ashour AE, et al. Modulation of Th1 cytokines and inflammatory mediators by Euphorbia hirta in animal model of adjuvant-induced arthritis. Inflammopharmacology. 2013;21:365–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Gairola S, Sharma J, Gaur RD, Siddiqi TO, Painuli RM. Plants used for treatment of dysentery and diarrhoea by the Bhoxa community of district Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India. J Ethnopharmacol. 2013;150:989–1006.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Galvez J, Zarzuelo A, Crespo ME, et al. Antidiarrhoeic activity of Euphorbia hirta extract and isolation of an active flavonoid constituent. Planta Med. 1993;59:333–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Gyuris A, Szlávik L, Minárovits J, et al. Antiviral activities of extracts of Euphorbia hirta L. against HIV-1, HIV-2 and SIVmac251. In Vivo. 2009;23:429–32.

    Google Scholar 

  15. Hiermann A, Bucar F. Influence of some traditional medicinal plants of Senegal on prostaglandin biosynthesis. J Ethnopharmacol. 1994;42:111–6.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Hore SK, Ahuja V, Mehta G, et al. Effect of aqueous Euphorbia hirta leaf extract on gastrointestinal motility. Fitoterapia. 2006;77:35–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Jaiprakash B, Chandramohan, Reddy DN. Burn wound healing activity of Euphorbia hirta. Anc Sci Life. 2006;25:16–8.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  18. Johnson PB, Abdurahman EM, Tiam EA, Abdu-Aguye I, Hussaini IM. Euphorbia hirta leaf extracts increase urine output and electrolytes in rats. J Ethnopharmacol. 1999;65:63–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  19. Kumar S, Malhotra R, Kumar D. Antidiabetic and free radicals scavenging potential of Euphorbia hirta flower extract. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2010;72:533–7.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Kunwar RM, Shrestha KP, Bussmann RW. Traditional herbal medicine in far-west Nepal: a pharmacological appraisal. J Ethnobiol Ethnomed. 2010;6:35.

    Google Scholar 

  21. Lanhers MC, Fleurentin J, Cabalion P, et al. Behavioral effects of Euphorbia hirta L.: sedative and anxiolytic properties. J Ethnopharmacol. 1990;29:189–98.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Lanhers MC, Fleurentin J, Dorfman P, et al. Analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory properties of Euphorbia hirta. Planta Med. 1991;57:225–31.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Lee KH, Chen YS, Judson JP, et al. The effect of water extracts of Euphorbia hirta on cartilage degeneration in arthritic rats. Malays J Pathol. 2008;30:95–102.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Loh DS, Er HM, Chen YS. Mutagenic and antimutagenic activities of aqueous and methanol extracts of Euphorbia hirta. J Ethnopharmacol. 2009;126:406–14.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Mallavadhani UV, Narasimhan K. Two novel butanol rhamnosides from an Indian traditional herb, Euphorbia hirta. Nat Prod Res. 2009;23:644–51.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Ndip RN, Malange Tarkang AE, Mbullah SM, et al. In vitro anti-Helicobacter pylori activity of extracts of selected medicinal plants from North West Cameroon. J Ethnopharmacol. 2007;114:452–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Nomoto Y, Sugimoto S, Matsunami K, Otsuka H. Hirtionosides A-C, gallates of mega-stigmane glucosides, 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid glucosides and a phenylpropanoid glucoside from the whole plants of Euphorbia hirta. J Nat Med. 2013;67:350–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Perumal S, Mahmud R. Chemical analysis, inhibition of biofilm formation and biofilm eradication potential of Euphorbia hirta L. against clinical isolates and standard strains. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2013;13:346.

    Google Scholar 

  29. Ragasa CY, Cornelio KB. Triterpenes from Euphorbia hirta and their cytotoxicity. Chin J Nat Med. 2013;11:528–33.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  30. Rajeh MA, Kwan YP, Zakaria Z, et al. Acute toxicity impacts of Euphorbia hirta L. extract on behavior, organs body weight index and histopathology of organs of the mice and Artemia salina. Pharmacognosy Res. 2012;4:170–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. Rajeh MA, Zuraini Z, Sasidharan S, et al. Assessment of Euphorbia hirta L. leaf, flower, stem and root extracts for their antibacterial and antifungal activity and brine shrimp lethality. Molecules. 2010;15:6008–18.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Saeed-ul-Hassan S, Khalil-ur-Rehman M, Niaz U. Isolation and characterization of irritant components of Euphorbia pilulifera L. Pak J Pharm Sci. 2013;26:31–7.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Shih MF, Cheng YD, Shen CR, Cherng JY. A molecular pharmacology study into the anti-inflammatory actions of Euphorbia hirta L. on the LPS-induced RAW 264.7 cells through selective iNOS protein inhibition. J Nat Med. 2010;64:330–5.

    Google Scholar 

  34. Singh G, Kumar P. Phytochemical study and screening for antimicrobial activity of flavonoids of Euphorbia hirta. Int J Appl Basic Med Res. 2013;3:111–6.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Singh GD, Kaiser P, Youssouf MS, et al. Inhibition of early and late phase allergic reactions by Euphorbia hirta L. Phytother Res. 2006;20:316–21.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  36. Subramanian SP, Bhuvaneshwari S, Prasath GS. Antidiabetic and antioxidant potentials of Euphorbia hirta leaves extract studied in streptozotocin-induced experimental diabetes in rats. Gen Physiol Biophys. 2011;30:278–85.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Sudhakar M, Rao ChV, Rao PM, et al. Antimicrobial activity of Caesalpinia pulcherrima, Euphorbia hirta and Asystasia gangeticum. Fitoterapia. 2006;77:378–80.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Suganya S, Sophia D, Raj CA, et al. Amelioration of nitrobenzene-induced nephrotoxicity by the ethanol extract of the herb Euphorbia hirta. Pharmacognosy Res. 2011;3:201–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  39. Sundari SK, Kumarappan CT, Jaswanth A, Valarmathy R. Bronchodilator effect of alcoholic extract of Euphorbia hirta Linn. Anc Sci Life. 2004;23:1–5.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  40. Tona L, Cimanga RK, Mesia K, et al. In vitro antiplasmodial activity of extracts and fractions from seven medicinal plants used in the Democratic Republic of Congo. J Ethnopharmacol. 2004;93:27–32.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  41. Tona L, Kambu K, Mesia K, et al. Biological screening of traditional preparations from some medicinal plants used as antidiarrhoeal in Kinshasa, Congo. Phytomedicine. 1999;6:59–66.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Tona L, Kambu K, Ngimbi N, et al. Antiamoebic and spasmolytic activities of extracts from some antidiarrhoeal traditional preparations used in Kinshasa, Congo. Phytomedicine. 2000;7:31–8.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  43. Tona L, Ngimbi NP, Tsakala M, et al. Antimalarial activity of 20 crude extracts from nine African medicinal plants used in Kinshasa, Congo. J Ethnopharmacol. 1999;68:193–203.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  44. Wang YC, Huang TL. Screening of anti-Helicobacter pylori herbs deriving from Taiwanese folk medicinal plants. FEMS Immunol Med Microbiol. 2005;43:295–300.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  45. Wong JY, Chen YS, Chakravarthi S, et al. The effects of Euphorbia hirta on the ultrastructure of the murine liver, kidney and aorta. Exp Ther Med. 2013;6:1247–50.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  46. Wu Y, Qu W, Geng D, et al. Phenols and flavonoids from the aerial part of Euphorbia hirta. Chin J Nat Med. 2012;10:40–2.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  47. Yakubu MT, Akanji MA, Oladiji AT. Male sexual dysfunction and methods used in assessing medicinal plants with aphrodisiac potentials. Pharmacog Rev. 2007;1:49–56.

    Google Scholar 

  48. Youssouf MS, Kaiser P, Tahir M, et al. Antianaphylactic effect of Euphorbia hirta. Fitoterapia. 2007;78:535–9.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  49. Yuet Ping K, Darah I, Chen Y, Sreeramanan S, Sasidharan S. Acute and subchronic toxicity study of Euphorbia hirta L. methanol extract in rats. Biomed Res Int. 2013;182064.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Stockton, CA, USA

    Shahid Akbar

Authors
  1. Shahid Akbar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Shahid Akbar .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2020 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Akbar, S. (2020). Euphorbia hirta L.; Chamaesyce hirta (L.) Mills. (Euphorbiaceae). In: Handbook of 200 Medicinal Plants. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-16807-0_95

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation