A Review Article on Euphorbia hirta Uses and Pharmacological Activities

The herbal medicines are oldest remedies known to mankind. India is known worldwide for its Ayurvedic treatment. Euphorbia hirta is often used traditionally for female disorders, respiratory ailments (cough, coryza, bronchitis, and asthma), and worm infestations in children, dysentery, jaundice, pimples, gonorrhea, digestive problems, and tumors. E. hirta is native to Central America. It was introduced into Southeast Asia a long time ago and has since spread throughout. It is a very common herb in the pan-tropic and partly subtropic areas worldwide, including China, India, Philippines, Australia, Africa, Malaysia, and so on. It is reported to contain alkanes, triterpenes, phytosterols, tannins, polyphenols, and flavanoids. Recently, modern pharmacological investigations showed that E. hirta and its active components possessed wide pharmacological actions, such as anti-inflammatory, antifungal, anti-bacterial, antidiarrheal, sedative, anxiolytic, analgesic, antipyretic, antioxidant, antiasthmatic, antitumor, antimalarial, larvicidal, diuretic, and increases electrolytes, among others. This review describes the medicinal properties, chemical constituents, and other important aspects of Euphorbia hirta.