Dermal irritation and sensitization study of Euphorbia neriifolia latex and its anti-inflammatory efficacy

Authors

  • Papiya Bigoniya Radharaman College of Pharmacy, Radharaman Group of Institutes, Bhadbada Road, Ratibad, Bhopal, M.P. (INDIA).
  • Alok Shukla Radharaman College of Pharmacy, Radharaman Group of Institutes, Bhadbada Road, Ratibad, Bhopal, M.P. (INDIA).
  • Chandra Shekar Singh Radharaman College of Pharmacy, Radharaman Group of Institutes, Bhadbada Road, Ratibad, Bhopal, M.P. (INDIA).

Keywords:

Euphorbia neriifolia, Latex, Dermal irritation, Antiinflammatory, Triterpenes, Euphol

Abstract

The presence of polycyclic diterpene esters in Euphorbia plants sap makes it highly irritant and notably corrosive causing burning pain of skin. The toxic nature of the Euphorbia is discouraging their uses despite the possible manifold therapeutic potentials. Euphorbia neriifolia (Euphorbiaceae) commonly known as Thuar is a sacculant shrub commonly and abundantly found as hedge plant in Central India. This study was designed to screen the physiochemical properties of latex and dermal irritation potential of its different solvent fractions targeting to retain the triterpene content high to extract therapeutic utilization. Physico-chemical, qualitative and quantitative phytochemical, dermal irritation and sensitization profile and topical anti-inflammatory activity of E. neriifolia latex were studied. Fresh latex contains 10.95 % solid with 18.32 % total resinous matter, and 24.50 % and 16.23 % of total diterpene and triterpene respectively. Petroleum ether fractionation showed 63.80 % yield with rich presence of steroid and triterpenoid. Pet. ether fraction was found to be apparently nonirritating with a PII score of 0.43/0.11 for erythema and edema according to Draize Dermal Classification System. Chloroform, acetone and water fractions are skin irritating due to presence of high diterpene content where as pet. ether fraction is rich in triterpene showing nonirritant activity. Topically latex pet. ether fraction at 750 and 500 mg/ml dose showed 42.40 and 35.25 % inhibition of carrageenan induced paw edema. Anti-inflammatory activity of latex pet. ether fraction is due to presence of triterpenes euphol, nerifoliol and cycloartenol. This study explores safe topical use profile of E. neriifolia latex retaining its anti-inflammatory efficacy.

References

Webster GL. Plant dermatitis. Irritant plants

in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae).

Clinical Dermatology 1986; 4(20): 36-45.

Hohmann J, Molnar J. Euphorbiaceae

diterpenes: Plant toxins or promising

molecules for the therapy? Acta Pharm.

Hung. 2004; 74: 149-157.

Newall CA, Anderson LA, Phillipson JD.

Herbal medicines. London: The

Pharmaceutical Press; 1996. p. 109.

Betancur-Galvis LA, Morales GE, Forero

JE, Roldan J. Cytotoxic and antiviral

activities of Colombian medicinal plant

extract of the Euphorbia genus. Mem Inst

Oswaldo Cruz 2002; 97: 541-546.

Singla AK, Pathak K. Phytoconstituents of

Euphorbia species. Fitoterapia 2009; 61:

-516.

Guerreroy RO, Guzman AL. Bioactivities

of latexes from selected tropical plants. Rev

Cubana Plant Med. 2004; 9(1): Accessed

– March 10, 2008. Available at:

http://scielo.sld.cu/scielo.php?pid=S1028-

&script=sci_arttext.

Ilyas M, Perveen M, Muhaisen HMH,

Basudan OA. A novel triterpene

(Nerifolione) a potent anti-inflammatory

and antiarthritic agent from Euphorbia

neriifolia. Hamdard-Medicine (Pakistan)

; 46(2): 97-102.

Shi QW, Su XH, Kiyota H. Chemical and

pharmacological research of the plants in

genus Euphorbia. Chemical Review 2008;

(10): 4295-4327.

Vogg G, Mattes E, Rothenburger J,

Hertkorn N, Stefan A, Sandermann JH.

Tumor promoting diterpenes from

Euphorbia leuconeura L. Phytochemistry

; 51: 289-295.

Baloch IB, Baloch MK, Saqib QN. Tumorpromoting diterpene esters from latex of

Euphorbia cauducifolia L. Helvetica

Chimica Acta 2005; 88: 3145-3150.

Kirtikar KR. Basu BD. Indian Medicinal

Plants. 2nd ed. Dehradun, India:

International Book Distributors; 1996. p.

Anonymous. The Wealth of India: Raw

Material. Vol III. D-E. New Delhi, India:

CSIR Publication; 1952. p. 226.

Pandey GS. Bhavaprakasa Nighantu. In:

Mishra B, editors. Indian Materia Medica.

Varanashi, India: Chaukhambha Bharti

Academy; 1992. p. 76-77 and 308.

ICMR report. Multicentric randomized

controlled clinical trial of Kshaarasootra

(Ayurvedic medicated thread) in the

management of fistula-in-ano. Indian

Journal of Medical Research (B) 1991; 94:

-185.

Amin KMY, Faridi MA, Asif M, Khan NA.

The efficacy and safety of Euphorbia

neriifolia – Unani antiarthritic drug. Indian

Journal of Pharmacology 1995; 27: 60.

Rashik AM, Shukla A, Patnaik GK,

Dhawan BN, Kulshrestha DK. Wound

healing activity of latex of Euphorbia

neriifolia Linn. Indian Journal of

Pharmacology 1996; 28(2): 107-109.

Ponsinet G, Ourisson G.

Chemotexonomical studies of the family

Euphorbiaceae. (Article in German)

Phytochemistry 1968; 7: 89-98.

Ilyas M, Praveen M, Amin KMY.

Nerifolione, a triterpene from Euphorbia

neriifolia. Phytochemistry 1998; 48: 561-

Mallavadhani UV, Satyanarayana KVS,

Mahapatra A, Sudhakar AVS. A new

tetracyclic triterpene from the latex of

Euphorbia neriifolia. Natural Product

Research 2004; 18(1): 33-37.

Indian Pharmacopoeia. Government of

India, Ministry of Health and Family

Welfare. New Delhi, India: The Controller

of Publications; 1996. p. A89-99.

Paech T, Tracy MV. Modern Methods in

Plant Analysis. Berlin: Springer Verlog;

p. 387.

Kinghorn AD, Evans FJ. Skin irritants of

Euphorbia fortissima. Journal of Pharmacy

and Pharmacology 1975; 27(5): 329-333.

Organization for Economic Co-operation

and Development. Guidelines for Testing of

Chemicals, Section 4: Health Effects.

Subsection 404: Acute Dermal

Irritation/Corrosion. Version 1: 1992.

DeGroot AC. Patch Testing, Test

Concentrations and Vehicles for 2800

Allergens. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science;

Derelanko MJ, Hollinger MA. Handbook of

toxicology. In: Bonnette KL, Rodabaugh

DD, Wilson CW, editors. Dermal irritation

and sensitization. 2nd ed. USA: CRC Press

LLC; 2002. p. 141-213.

Lira AAM, Sester EA, Carvalho ALM,

Strattmann RR, Albuquerque MM,

Wanderley AG, Santana DP. Development

of lapachol topical formulation: Antiinflammatory study of a selected

formulation. AAPS Pharmaceutical Science

and Technology 2008; 9(1): 163-168.

Lam TSK, Wong OF, Leung CH, Fung HT.

A case report of ocular injury by Euphorbia

plant sap. Hong Kong Journal of

Emergency Medicine 2009; 16(4): 267-270.

Pitts JF, Barker NH, Gibbons DC, Jay JL.

Manchineel keratoconjunctivitis. British

Journal of Ophthalmology 1993; 77(5):

-288.

Nadkarni AK. Indian Materia Medica. vol.

Bombay, India: Popular prakashan; 1976.

p. 424-426.

Harborne JB. Phytochemical Methods (A

guide to Modern Techniques of Plant

Analysis). 1st ed. London: Chapman and

Hall; 1973. p. 100-141.

Upadhyay R, Samiyeh R, Tafazuli A.

Tumor promoting and skin irritant diterpene

esters of Euphorbia virgata latex.

Neoplasma 1981; 28(5): 555-558.

Mizuo Mizuno MZ, Tanaka T, Iinuma M,

Guang-Yi X, Qing H. A diterpenes from

Euphorbia antiquorum. Phytochemistry

; 28(2): 553-555.

Ng AS. Diterpenes from Euphorbia

neriifolia. Phytochemistry 1990; 29: 662-

Alberto Marco J, Sanz-Cervera JF, Checa J,

Palomares E, Fraga BM. Jatrophane and

tigliane diterpenes from latex of Euphorbia

obtusifolia. Phytochemistry 1999; 52(3):

-485.

Baslas RK, Agarwal R. Chemical

investigation of some anticancer plants of

Euphorbia genus. Indian Journal of

Chemistry 1980; 19B: 717-718.

Koh LL, Ng AS, Tan GK. Structure of a

diterpene from Euphorbia neriifolia. Acta

Cryst. 1992; C48: 753-754.

Mukherjee PK. Quality control of herbal

drugs: An approach to evaluation of

botanicals. 1st ed. New Delhi, India:

Business Horizons; 2002. p. 410-418.

Bigoniya P, Rana AC. Radioprotective and

In-vitro cytotoxic sapogenin from

Euphorbia neriifolia (Euphorbiaceae) Leaf.

Tropical Journal of Pharmaceutical

Research 2009; 8(6): 521-530.

Bonta IL, Noordhoek J. Anti-inflammatory

mechanism of inflamed –tissue factor.

Agents and Actions 1973; 3(5): 348-356.

Appendino G, Szallasi A. Euphorbium:

Modern research on its active principle,

resiniferatoxin, revives an ancient medicine.

Life Science 1997; 60: 681-696.

Fenandez-Arche A, Saenz MT, Arroyo M,

De la Puerta R, Garcia MD. Topical antiinflammatory effect of tirucallol, a

triterpene isolated from Euphorbia lactea

latex. Phytomedicine 2010; 17(2): 146-148.

Akihisa T, Yasukawa K, Oinuma H,

Kasahara Y, Yamanouchi S, Takido M,

Kumaki K, Tamura T. Triterpene alcohols

from the flowers of Compositae and their

anti-inflammatory effects. Phytochemistry

; 43: 1255-1260.

Yasukawa K, Akihisa T, Oinuma H,

Kaminaga T, Kanno H, Kasahara Y,

Tamura T, Kumaki K, Yamanouchi S,

Takido M. Inhibitory effect of taraxastanetype triterpenes on tumor promotion by 12-

O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate in twostage carcinogenesis in mouse skin.

Oncology 1996; 53: 341-344.

Akihisa T, Yasukawa K, Kimura Y, Takase

S, Yamanouchi S, Tamura T. Triterpene

alcohols from Camellia and Sasanqua oils

and their anti-inflammatory effects.

Chemical and Pharmaceutical Bulletin

; 45(12): 2016-2023.

Bani S, Kaul A, Jaggi BS, Suri KA, Suri

OP, Sharma OP. Anti-inflammatory activity

of the hydrosoluble fraction of Euphorbia

royleana latex. Fitoterapia 2000; 71(6):

-662.

Kedei N, Lundberg DJ, Toth A, Welburn P,

Garfield SH, Blumberg PM.

Characterization of the interaction of

ingenol 3-angelate with protein kinase C.

Cancer Research 2004; 64: 3243-3255.

Hergenhahn M, Kusumoto S, Hecker E. On

the active principles of the spurge family

(Euphorbiaceae)-V. Extremely skin-irritant

and moderately tumor-promoting diterpene

esters from Euphorbia resinifera Berg.

Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology

; 108(1): 98-109.

Downloads

Published

30-09-2010

How to Cite

1.
Papiya Bigoniya, Alok Shukla, Chandra Shekar Singh. Dermal irritation and sensitization study of Euphorbia neriifolia latex and its anti-inflammatory efficacy. ijp [Internet]. 2010 Sep. 30 [cited 2024 Dec. 23];2(3):240-54. Available from: https://ijp.arjournals.org/index.php/ijp/article/view/43

Issue

Section

Original Research Articles