Review Article
Year: 2019 | Month: March | Volume: 9 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 273-286
Botanical Description, Phytochemical Constituents and Pharmacological Properties of Euphorbia hirta Linn: A Review
Pranabesh Ghosh1*, Chandreyi Ghosh1*, Shaktijit Das1*, Chandrima Das1*, Suprodip Mandal2**, Sirshendu Chatterjee2*
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.
Key words: Euphorbia hirta, Bioactive Compounds, Phytomedicine, Medicinal Weed