Euphorbia hirta Linn
| Botanical Name | Euphorbia hirta Linn |
| Order: | Malpighiales |
| Family: | Euphorbiaceae |
| Genus: | Euphorbia |
| Species: | E. hirta |
| Common Names: | Milkweed, snakeweed, pillbearing spurge, Hairy spurge, Australian asthma herb, Queensland asthma weed (English) |
Plant Synonyms
Euphorbia pilulifera Linn, Euphorbia capitata Linn
Plant Local Names
Burkina Faso: Moore - Wal-bijsum, Fulafulde - Intan bougadje; en engil, Dioula - Ntugansin
Cote d'lvoire: Baule - Adodooo, Gagu - Tao Moa, Rru Bete - Blableg-Ware
Ghana: Akan - Kakaweadwe; Ewe - Notsigbe, Nzema - Aakuba
Guinea-Bissau: Fula Pulaar-Taquelpolhe
Liberia: Mano - To A Gbondo
Mali: Dogon - Peleguere Pfimi, Bambara - Dabadaba Bileni
Nigeria: Yoruba-Emile, irawo'le,Fula Fulfulde- Endamyel, Hausa- Noonon Kurciyaa
Senegal: Badyara - Makoreseld, Diola Flup - Ku Tim, Fula Pulaar - En Engil
Sierra Leone1: Limba - FuQkele, Loko - Bumbungo, Mende- Beleji
Togo: Ewe - Anonsikan, Akasselem - Melandjebe, Ouatchi – Nostikd
Plant Habitat
Common weed in towns and villages near drains, roadsides and waste places; indigenous to India and most tropical countries.
Plant Material of Interest
Fresh or dried leaf or aerial tops, Whole plant
Plant Description
It is a small annual herb common to tropical countries. It grows up to 40cm high, growing erect or close to the ground. The stem is slender and cylindrical, often reddish and white (with milky juice) covered with yellowish bristly hairs especially in the younger parts. Leaves are oppositely arranged, lanceolate and up to 5cm long, greenish or reddish underneath, asymmetrical and of rounded clusters in the leaf axils. The small green flowers constitute the inflorescence. The capsules are hairy. (Sofowora, 1984).
Plant Used Parts
Plant Uses
i. Used in treating asthma
ii. In East and West Africa extracts of the decoction of the plant collected are used in asthma and respiratory inflammation.
iii. In East Africa, an infusion of the leaves is given to sheep, goat and cattle to increase lactation and is used for the same purpose and in the same way by Ghanaian women.
iv. Used widely in Angola against diarrhea and dysentery, especially amoebic dysentery (Medicinal plants of Nigeria)
Plant Therapeutic Action
Antiasthmatic; anthelmintic; antiinflammatory; antimicrobial; antipyretic; antispasmodic (respiratory tract) (AyiteyrSmith, 1989); anxiolytic; bronchodilator; galactogogue; pectoral; sedative (GHP, 1992; Lanhers et U-, 1990; 1991).
Plant Precaution for Use
Caution should be taken in the administration of the aqueous extract in patients with compromised liver function and the unconfirmed carcinogenic effect due to the content of phorbol esters.
Plant Adverse Effect
Nausea, vomiting and allergic reactions
Plant Contraindication
Pregnancy and lactation, bronchodilators, known hepatobiliary patients, elderly and children.
Plant Dosage Forms
Infusion: 20-30 g of dried plant per litre of water; drink 3-4 cups daily.
Decoction: 30-50 g of dried leaves; drink 3-4 cups daily.
Liquid extract (BPC 1949): 1:1 in 45% alcohol; 0.12-0.3ml three times a day. Tincture (BPC 1923): 1:5 in 60% alcohol, take 0.6-2ml three times a day.
Plant Dosage
Decoction; infusion; juice from fresh leaves; liquid extract; tincture.
Plant Storage
Store in a cool dry place and protected from light
Plant Chromatographic Fingerprint
Plant Constituents
Preliminary screening of the plant revealed the presence of a gum, resin, calcium oxalate crystals, sugar, mucilage, volatile substances, melisyl, palmitic, oleic and linoleic acids, traces of ceryl alcohol, essential oil, malic and succinic acids (Sofowora, 1984). The stem and leaf have been shown to be rich in flavonoids. Those isolated are quercetin, quecetrin, xanthorhamnin, leucocynidol, camphol, myricitrin, and a quecitol derivative containing a rhamnose moiety. Terpernoids are also present. Others are a- and β-amyrin, taraxerol and esters, friedelin, campesterol, sitosterol, stigmasterol, jambulol, euphosterol, myricyl alcohol, choline, alkanes, quercitol, inositol, phenolic acids (ellagic, gallic, shikimic acid, sugar, resins, triacontane, hentriacontane, cycloartenol, euphorbol hexacozonate, tinyaoxin, 1-hexacosanol, phorbol esters, euphol, acetate derivatives and tannin (Sofowora, 1984).
Plant Pictures
Plant References
Ayitey-Smith, E. (1989). Prospects and Scope of Plant Medicine in Health Care, 12-13. Ghana Universities Press: Accra, Ghana
Baslas, R., Agarwal, R. (1980).Chemical examination of E. hirta. In International Research Congress On Natural Products As Medicinal Agents, Strasbourg. France. Book of abstracts II Michler, E and Reinhard, E. (eds) p. 25
British Pharmaceutical Codex (1949).
British Pharmaceutical Codex (1923).
Evans, W.C. (2002). Trease and Evans Pharmacognosy, 15th ed., 492. Saunders: London, UK.
Galvez, J., Zarzuelo, A., Crespo, M.E., Lorente, M.D., et al., (1993). Antidiarrhoeic activity of Euphorbia hirtaextract and isolation of an active flavonoid constituent. Planta Medica 59(4):333- 336.
Ghana Herbal Pharmacopoeia (1992). The Advent Press: Accra, Ghana.
Hiermann, A., Bucar, F. (1994). Influence of some traditional medicinal plants of Senegal on prostaglandin biosynthesis. Journal of Ethnopharmacology 42:111-116.