Structurally diverse triterpenoids with cytotoxicity from Euphorbia hypericifolia

Anti-Inflammatory and Cytotoxic Compounds Isolated from Plants of Euphorbia Genus

Euphorbia is a large genus of the Euphorbiaceae family. Around 250 species of the Euphorbia genus have been studied chemically and pharmacologically; different compounds have been isolated from these species, especially diterpenes and triterpenes. Several reports show that several species have anti-inflammatory activity, which can be attributed to the presence of diterpenes, such as abietanes, ingenanes, and lathyranes. In addition, it was found that some diterpenes isolated from different Euphorbia species have anti-cancer activity. In this review, we included compounds isolated from species of the Euphorbia genus with anti-inflammatory or cytotoxic effects published from 2018 to September 2023. The databases used for this review were Science Direct, Scopus, PubMed, Springer, and Google Scholar, using the keywords Euphorbia with anti-inflammatory or cytotoxic activity. In this review, 68 studies were collected and analyzed regarding the anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer activities of 264 compounds obtained from 36 species of the Euphorbia genus. The compounds included in this review are terpenes (95%), of which 68% are diterpenes, especially of the types ingenanes, abietanes, and triterpenes (approximately 15%).

New dammarane-type triterpenoids from the whole plant of Euphorbia hypericifolia

Euphorhypenoids A (1) and B (2), two new dammarane-type triterpenoids, along with four known tetracyclic triterpenoids (3-6), were isolated from the whole plant of Euphorbia hypericifolia. The structures of new compounds were mainly elucidated by a series of extensive spectroscopic methods, including HR-ESI-MS, NMR, IR, and UV. Compound 1 exhibited significant inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation at concentrations of 10 - 200 µM.

Nature's Green Potential: Anticancer Properties of Plants of the Euphorbiaceae Family

The number of cancer cases will reach 24 million in 2040, according to the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Current treatments for cancer are not effective and selective for most patients; for this reason, new anticancer drugs need to be developed and researched enough. There are potentially useful drugs for cancer isolated from plants that are being used in the clinic. Available information about phytochemistry, traditional uses, in vitro and in vivo experiments with plants, and pure compounds isolated from the Euphorbiaceae family indicates that this family of plants has the potential to develop anticancer drugs. This review examines selected species from the Euphorbiaceae family and their bioactive compounds that could have potential against different types of cancer cells. It reviews the activity of crude extracts, isolated compounds, and nanoparticles and the potential underlying mechanisms of action.

LC-ESI QToF MS Non-Targeted Screening of Latex Extracts of Euphorbia seguieriana ssp. seguieriana Necker and Euphorbia cyparissias and Determination of Their Potential Anticancer Activity

Euphorbia seguieriana ssp. seguieriana Necker (ES) and Euphorbia cyparissias (EC) with a habitat in the Deliblato Sands were the subject of this examination. The latexes of these so far insufficiently investigated species of the Euphorbia genus are used in traditional medicine for the treatment of wounds and warts on the skin. To determine their chemical composition, non-targeted screening of the latexes' chloroform extracts was performed using liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry employing an electrospray ionization source (LC-ESI QTOF MS). The analysis of the obtained results showed that the latexes of ES and EC represent rich sources of diterpenes, tentatively identified as jatrophanes, ingenanes, tiglianes, myrsinanes, premyrsinanes, and others. Examination of the anticancer activity of the ES and EC latex extracts showed that both extracts significantly inhibited the growth of the non-small cell lung carcinoma NCI-H460 and glioblastoma U87 cell lines as well as of their corresponding multi-drug resistant (MDR) cell lines, NCI-H460/R and U87-TxR. The obtained results also revealed that the ES and EC extracts inhibited the function of P-glycoprotein (P-gp) in MDR cancer cells, whose overexpression is one of the main mechanisms underlying MDR.

Indonesian Euphorbiaceae: Ethnobotanical Survey, In Vitro Antibacterial, Antitumour Screening and Phytochemical Analysis of Euphorbia atoto

Indonesia is among the countries with the most significant biodiversity globally. Jamu, the traditional medicine of Indonesia, predominantly uses herbal materials and is an integral component of the Indonesian healthcare system. The present study reviewed the ethnobotanical data of seven Indonesian Euphorbiaceae species, namely Euphorbia atoto, E. hypericifolia, Homalanthus giganteus, Macaranga tanarius, Mallotus mollissimus, M. rufidulus, and Shirakiopsis indica, based on the RISTOJA database and other literature sources. An antimicrobial screening of the plant extracts was performed in 15 microorganisms using the disk diffusion and broth microdilution methods, and the antiproliferative effects were examined in drug-sensitive Colo 205 and resistant Colo 320 cells by the MTT assay. The antimicrobial testing showed a high potency of M. tanarius, H. giganteus, M. rufidulus, S. indica, and E. atoto extracts (MIC = 12.5-500 µg/mL) against different bacteria. In the antitumour screening, remarkable activities (IC50 0.23-2.60 µg/mL) were demonstrated for the extracts of H. giganteus, M. rufidulus, S. indica, and E. atoto against Colo 205 cells. The n-hexane extract of E. atoto, with an IC50 value of 0.24 ± 0.06 µg/mL (Colo 205), was subjected to multistep chromatographic separation, and 24-methylene-cycloartan-3β-ol, jolkinolide E, tetra-tert-butyl-diphenyl ether, α-tocopherol, and β-sitosterol were isolated.

New benzofuran neolignans with neuroprotective activity from Phyllanthodendron breynioides

A pair of undescribed dihydrobenzofuran neolignan enantiomers, (+/-)-phybrenan A (1a/1b), two new benzofuran neolignans, phybrenan B and C (2 and 3), along with four known neolignans (4 - 7) were obtained from the plants of Phyllanthodendron breynioides P. T. Li. The planar structures of all isolates were demonstrated by the analysis of detailed spectroscopic evidence (NMR, HRMS, and IR), and the absolute configurations of novel neolignans were elucidated by combined calculated and experimental ECD data analysis. The neuroprotective activities of all benzofuran neolignans against sodium nitroprusside (SNP)-induced cell death were examined in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells. The results exhibited that three compounds (4 - 6) possessed remarkable neuroprotective activities at 10 µM, better than the positive drug edaravone.

Euphorfistrines A-G, cytotoxic and AChE inhibiting triterpenoids from the roots of Euphorbia fischeriana

Seven new triterpenoids including two cycloartanes (1-2), a lanostane (3), a tirucallane (4), a dammarane (5), an ursane (6), and an oleanane (7), along with nineteen known triterpenoids (8-26), have been obtained from the roots of Euphorbia fischeriana. Their structures were established by NMR, HRESIMS, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, Mosher's method, NMR calculations, ECD analysis, and comparison with structurally related known analogues. Among them, compounds 1 and 8 were a pair of cycloartane-type triterpenoids epimers. Our bioassays have established that compounds 1-5 and 10 displayed moderate cytotoxic effects, and the structure-activity relationships of cycloartane-type triterpenoids (CTTs) were further examined. Notably, some triterpenoids displayed moderate inhibitory effects against AChE by an in vitro screened experiment. Triterpenoid 7 (Euphorfistrine G, ETG) displayed the potent inhibitory effect with IC₅₀ = 2.45 and K_i = 2.30 μM (inhibition kinetic). And, in silico docking analyses have been performed to investigate the inhibitory mechanism of compound 7.